1
|
Espinal-Palomino R, Montes de Oca-Aguilar AC, Ibarra-López MP, Vidal-Martínez VM, Ibarra-Cerdeña CN. Bat microfilariae in the cityscape: a transmission tale between bats, mites, and bat flies. Int J Parasitol 2025; 55:79-94. [PMID: 39521164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 09/18/2024] [Accepted: 11/04/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Litomosoides includes filarial nematodes capable of infecting various vertebrate species. While Litomosoides has been extensively studied in rodents, research on its association with bats remains limited. The transmission dynamics of this parasite are complex, involving moving between different invertebrate hosts before reaching the final host. Most investigations concerning microfilariae have concentrated on their morphological characteristics, with scant attention paid to ecological aspects, particularly in human-altered landscapes. This study represents the first known documentation of Litomosoides in bats within an urban environment. It investigates their response to urbanization in their interaction with the synanthropic bat Artibeus jamaicensis and its ectoparasites. The objective was to explore the influence of urban landscapes on Litomosoides prevalence in synanthropic hosts. Blood samples were collected along urban-rural gradients, and parasite presence was confirmed through direct observation in blood smears and PCR. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COX1), which exhibited robust support values, indicates that the microfilaria found in A. jamaicensis is closely related to Litomosoides chandleri. However, it also suggests the possibility of an unidentified, and therefore potentially new, species within the genus Litomosoides. Additionally, Litomosoides DNA was detected in Periglischrus iheringi (Acari: Spinturnicidae) and in the bat fly Trichobius intermedius collected from the bat. The parasite sequences obtained from these three interacting species exhibited a genetic distance as low as 0.002. The highest prevalences were recorded in forested areas (28.6%) compared with urban areas (21.2%). However, within the urban landscape, prevalence varied from 3.8% to 21.2%, being highest in densely built-up areas. Analysis of the urban landscape suggested that the prevalence of Litomosoides in A. jamaicensis is the result of a multifactorial and synergistic process involving ectoparasite load, host abundance, and the extent of impervious surfaces (NDBI).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Román Espinal-Palomino
- Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida. Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Ana Celia Montes de Oca-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Martha Pilar Ibarra-López
- Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida. Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, México; Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Autlán, Jalisco, México
| | - Víctor M Vidal-Martínez
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida. Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Carlos N Ibarra-Cerdeña
- Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida. Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Eriksson A, da Silva SG, Ferreira FF. Bat ectoparasites (Diptera: Streblidae and Acari: Spinturnicidae) from an urban area in the Amazon-Cerrado transition. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2025; 57:101175. [PMID: 39855863 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2024] [Revised: 11/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2025]
Abstract
Parasites significantly influence ecosystems by controlling host populations and spreading diseases, thereby impacting ecological balances. In the Neotropics, hematophagous bat flies and mites are common ectoparasites of bats. The state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, hosts a diverse bat fauna across its Amazon Forest, Cerrado, and Pantanal habitats. We described bat flies and wing mites associated with bats in an urban area in the Amazon-Cerrado transition. Despite the expected diversity of bat in the study area, we expect to find a low number of ectoparasites species, as urban areas are typically associated with reduced parasite diversity. Bats were captured using mist nets, and ectoparasites collected manually or with tweezers and identified under the stereomicroscope. We found 10 species of ectoparasites (seven bat flies and three wingmites) from 181 bats across 22 species. The study found low ectoparasite diversity, possibly due to the small number of bats captured or the constraints found in the urban environment. Most observed bat-ectoparasite associations were consistent with previous studies, but some unexpected associations suggested possible contamination or transient relationships. This research fills a gap in the knowledge of bat ectoparasites in Mato Grosso, contributing to understanding bat-ectoparasite dynamics in diverse habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Eriksson
- Departamento de Biologia e Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
| | - Sergio Gomes da Silva
- Departamento de Ecologia Aplicada, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso, Pontes e Lacerda, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
López-Rivera C, Robayo-Sánchez LN, Ramírez-Hernández A, Cuéllar-Saénz JA, Villar JD, Cortés-Vecino JA, Rivera-Páez FA, Ossa-López PA, Ospina-Pérez EM, Henao-Osorio JJ, Cardona-Giraldo A, Racero-Casarrubia J, Rodríguez-Posada ME, Morales-Martinez DM, Hidalgo M, Ramírez-Chaves HE. Diversity of ectoparasitic bat flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) in inter-Andean valleys: evaluating interactions in the largest inter-Andean basin of Colombia. Zookeys 2024; 1221:377-400. [PMID: 39780991 PMCID: PMC11707520 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1221.127890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 11/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025] Open
Abstract
Flies belonging to the families Streblidae and Nycteribiidae are highly specialized arthropods that feed on the blood of bats. Their morphology varies and has adapted throughout their coevolutionary history with hosts. Bat flies are often associated with specific bat species and can establish distinct infracommunities. Interaction networks have been used to better understand these associations, revealing interaction modules between bats and their parasites. The Magdalena River basin is the largest in Colombia, encompassing a wide variety of climatic and ecological conditions, with up to 98 bat species reported. We conducted field trips to capture bats and bat flies in different locations along the basin and reviewed literature records and biological collections to gather additional data on interactions between bats and bat flies in this region. We found a high diversity of bats and bat flies in the Magdalena River basin, revealing a medium specialization and modularity in these interactions. We identified bat fly infracommunities and negative associations between certain bat fly species, suggesting competition for resources within hosts. The specialization is similar to that reported in degraded and fragmented habitats where the availability of shelters decreases, favoring the overcrowding of bats, forming multi-species colonies. In conclusion, our study provides important information on the interactions between bats and bat flies in the Magdalena River basin, expanding knowledge about the diversity and structure of these communities in inter-Andean landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila López-Rivera
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | - Laura Natalia Robayo-Sánchez
- Grupo de Investigación Parasitología Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, 111321, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaBogotáColombia
| | - Alejandro Ramírez-Hernández
- Grupo de Investigación Parasitología Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, 111321, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaBogotáColombia
- Grupo Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá D. C., ColombiaUniversidad de la SalleBogotáColombia
| | - Jerson Andrés Cuéllar-Saénz
- Grupo de Investigación Parasitología Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, 111321, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaBogotáColombia
| | - Juan Diego Villar
- Grupo Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaPontificia Universidad JaverianaBogotáColombia
| | - Jesús Alfredo Cortés-Vecino
- Grupo de Investigación Parasitología Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, 111321, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaBogotáColombia
| | - Fredy A. Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación Biodiversidad Unicórdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Córdoba, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalezColombia
| | - Paula Andrea Ossa-López
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | - Erika M. Ospina-Pérez
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | - Jose J. Henao-Osorio
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | - Alexandra Cardona-Giraldo
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | - Javier Racero-Casarrubia
- Fundación Reserva Natural La Palmita, Centro de Investigación, Grupo de investigaciones territoriales para el uso y conservación de la biodiversidad, Bogotá, ColombiaUniversidad de CórdobaCórdobaColombia
| | - Miguel E. Rodríguez-Posada
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall 70803, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USAFundación Reserva Natural La Palmita, Centro de InvestigaciónBogotáColombia
| | - Darwin M. Morales-Martinez
- Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, ColombiaLouisiana State UniversityLouisianaUnited States of America
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Grupo Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., ColombiaPontificia Universidad JaverianaBogotáColombia
| | - Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, ColombiaUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Szentiványi T, Szabadi KL, Görföl T, Estók P, Kemenesi G. Bats and ectoparasites: exploring a hidden link in zoonotic disease transmission. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:1115-1123. [PMID: 39516134 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2024] [Revised: 10/16/2024] [Accepted: 10/16/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Bats are increasingly in the focus of disease surveillance studies as they harbor pathogens that can cause severe human disease. In other host groups, ectoparasitic arthropods play an important role in transmitting pathogens to humans. Nevertheless, we currently know little about the role of bat-associated ectoparasites in pathogen transmission, not only between bats but also to humans and other species, even though some of these parasites occasionally feed on humans and harbor potentially zoonotic organisms. In this work, we summarize current knowledge on the zoonotic risks linked to bat-associated ectoparasites and provide novel risk assessment guidelines to improve targeted surveillance efforts. Additionally, we suggest research directions to help adjust surveillance strategies and to better understand the eco-epidemiological role of these parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kriszta Lilla Szabadi
- HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary; Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Tamás Görföl
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Péter Estók
- Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
| | - Gábor Kemenesi
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mejia P, Urbieta GL, Xavier BDS, Castro IJD, DE Toledo JJ, Graciolli G, Viana Dias LA, Carvalho WD. Seasonal variation and host sex affect bat-bat fly interaction networks in the Amazonian savannahs. Integr Zool 2024; 19:400-416. [PMID: 37553290 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Bats are the second-most diverse group of mammals in the world, and bat flies are their main parasites. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding these antagonistic interactions, especially since diverse factors such as seasonality and host sex can affect their network structures. Here, we explore the influence of such factors by comparing species richness and composition of bat flies on host bats, as well as specialization and modularity of bat-bat fly interaction networks between seasons and adult host sexes. We captured bats and collected their ectoparasitic flies at 10 sampling sites in the savannahs of Amapá State, northeastern region of the Brazilian Amazon. Despite female bats being more parasitized and recording greater bat fly species richness in the wet season, neither relationship was statistically significant. The pooled network could be divided into 15 compartments with 54 links, and all subnetworks comprised >12 compartments. The total number of links ranged from 27 to 48 (for the dry and wet seasons, respectively), and female and male subnetworks had 44 and 41 links, respectively. Connectance values were very low for the pooled network and for all subnetworks. Our results revealed higher bat fly species richness and abundance in the wet season, whereas specialization and modularity were higher in the dry season. Moreover, the subnetwork for female bats displayed higher specialization and modularity than the male subnetwork. Therefore, both seasonality and host sex contribute in different ways to bat-bat fly network structure. Future studies should consider these factors when evaluating bat-bat fly interaction networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Mejia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá AP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Lima Urbieta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá AP, Brazil
| | - Bruna da Silva Xavier
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Isaí Jorge de Castro
- Laboratório de Mamíferos, Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá (IEPA), Macapá AP, Brazil
| | - José Júlio DE Toledo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá AP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução (LSEE), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, MT, Brazil
| | - Lucio André Viana Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá AP, Brazil
| | - William Douglas Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá AP, Brazil
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Montes de Oca-Aguilar AC, Ibarra-López MP, Ibarra-Cerdeña CN. A Five-Year Study on Infestation and Abundance of Bat Flies (Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae) Under Severe Dry Season Conditions in the Tropical Dry Forest of Yucatan, Mexico. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 53:439-454. [PMID: 38530618 PMCID: PMC11021260 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-024-01130-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
In Mexico, few studies have explored how environmental conditions in tropical dry forests (TDF) influence bat fly load even though, according to climate change scenarios, this ecosystem will experience a drier and warmer climate. Such an extension of the dry season in these ecosystems could have dramatic consequences for biodiversity, particularly in regions with plains where animals do not have elevational climate shifts. The present study therefore evaluates the effect of prevailing environmental conditions during 2015-2019, as well as host body conditions, on the infestation and abundance of bat-specific ectoparasites and the composition and bat fly load in the dry season of a TDF in Yucatan. Since Yucatan has an essentially flat and low-lying topography, organisms cannot escape from the predicted extreme conditions with elevational shifts. This region is therefore an excellent location for assessment of the potential effects of warming. We collected 270 bat flies from 12 species. Three streblid species (Nycterophilia parnelli Wenzel, Trichobius johnsonae Wenzel, and Trichobius sparsus Kessel) are new records for Yucatan. Our overview of the dry season bat ectoparasite loads reveals low values of richness and prevalence, but high aggregation. Our models detected significant differences in ectoparasite infestation and abundance over the years, but the environmental and body host condition variables were unrelated to these. We report that pregnant females are parasitized to a greater extent by bat flies during the dry season, which generally represents the season of most significant nutritional stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Celia Montes de Oca-Aguilar
- Lab de Inmunología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Univ Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
- Dept de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Martha Pilar Ibarra-López
- Dept de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Mexico
- Lab de Zoología, Dept de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de La Costa Sur, Univ de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Carlos N Ibarra-Cerdeña
- Dept de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav), Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Brito JEC, de Mello BGV, Gaeta NC, Batista JMN, Brito TR, Agostinho WC, Brandão PE, Heinemann MB, Dias RA. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban-rural interfaces: community structure associated with pathogen screening in São Paulo-the largest metropolitan region in Brazil. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:1575-1600. [PMID: 37154860 PMCID: PMC10165300 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the influence of the urban environments on bat species 'ecology. The urbanization process potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities' intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. To date, the monitoring of pathogens in bats in Brazil has only been done with bats found dead or alive in households, from rabies surveillance systems. The present work aimed to investigate how urbanization influenced bat richness, relative abundance and pathogen occurrence. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lilium, Artibeus lituratus, A. fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus, among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body condition index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. Several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of a harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Eduardo Cavalcanti Brito
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Gagete Veríssimo de Mello
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Carrillo Gaeta
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Maria Nunes Batista
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Roberto Brito
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Washington Carlos Agostinho
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonosis, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Eduardo Brandão
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonosis, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Bryan Heinemann
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Augusto Dias
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ramírez-Martínez MM, Tlapaya-Romero L. Association of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) and bats: Richness and host specificity in Western Mexico. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:160-167. [PMID: 37252655 PMCID: PMC10209120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
As part of a widespread ecological study on the ectoparasites of bats in Western Mexico, we report new information on the specificity, and distribution of bat flies in a geographical transition zone between the neartic and neotropical zones. Fifteen (15) species of bats representing three families (Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae) were collected in 10 locations throughout western Mexico. A total of 276 bat flies, representing 6 genera and 25 species, were identified four species of the bat flies are new records for the region indicating an expansion of the distribution for Trichobius corynorhini (Cockerll, 1910), T. hoffmannae (Guerrero & Morales-Malacara, 1996), T. intermedius (Peterson & Hürka, 1974) and Nycterophilia natali (Wenzel, 1966). These records update the species richness of streblids to 40 species in the state of Jalisco, representing 65.6% of the total number of 61 species of streblids recorded in Mexico. The interaction network showed a high degree of specialization of the bat flies towards their hosts (H2' = 0.92). Similarly, the specificity indices showed that there is a high ecological specificity (SI) with an average of 92%. of all the bat flies was associated with their primary hosts, while the average value of specificity of the phylogenetic trees (STD) of the six streblid species that presented more than one host was 1.7%, indicating a high specificity. The results of this study provide relevant information on bat-parasite associations and highlight the need for further research to obtain information on the geographic distribution of streblids and their hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Magdalena Ramírez-Martínez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud y Ecología Humana, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Liliana Tlapaya-Romero
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud y Ecología Humana, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Biosistemática, Ecología y Manejo de Recursos Naturales (BEMARENA), Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
da Silva SG, Ferreira FF, Hrycyna G, Eriksson A, Graciolli G, Canale GR. Determinants of the composition of ectoparasitic flies of bats (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) in the Amazon and Cerrado landscape scales and ecotonal areas. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1851-1861. [PMID: 37233818 PMCID: PMC10213591 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07886-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The high diversity of bats in the Neotropics is primarily associated with various ectoparasite species on their bodies. Interactions between these animals need to be comprehensively investigated at landscape scales, focusing on understanding the patterns of diversity of species. We sought to evaluate, througt bat captures and ectoparasite sampling, the determinants of the composition of ectoparasitic flies species present in bats in in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes and ecotone areas. We used a generalized dissimilarity model (GDM) to verify what factors explained the composition of ectoparasitic flies of bats using landscape metrics, geographic distance, biome, and host composition. Twenty-four bat species haboured a total of 33 species of ectoparasitic flies. Host composition was the best predictor of fly composition, followed by the environmental variables and by biome. Geographical distance presented negligible effects. Studies on large scales tend to reveal a wide diversity of ectoparasitic flies. Host composition, as the best predictor of fly composition, may be associated with interspecific characteristics among species. We recommend studies focusing on the landscape to understand better the parasitic associations of bats and their distribution across environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Gomes da Silva
- Departamento de Ecologia Aplicada, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Do Estado de Mato Grosso, Pontes E Lacerda, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
| | | | - Gabriela Hrycyna
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alan Eriksson
- Departamento de Biologia E Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Paula Lula Costa A, Bascompte J, Andrian Padial A. Modularity in host-parasite mixed networks: interaction configuration shifts based on human perturbation and parasitism form. Int J Parasitol 2023:S0020-7519(23)00146-7. [PMID: 37328044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Parasitism is an association based on host individual traits and environmental factors. The complexity of this type of interaction is often lost when studying species-by-species interaction networks. Here we analyze changes in modularity - a metric describing groups of nodes interacting much more frequently among themselves than they do with nodes of other modules, considering the host individual variation and the different forms of parasitism: ecto- and endo-parasitism. For this, we studied mixed networks: bipartite networks comprising host individuals and parasite species as two sets of nodes interacting with each other. We used a fish-parasite mixed network from a highly perturbed coastal river to understand how an anthropogenic perturbation gradient influences the modular structure of host-parasite networks. In addition, we tested how host individual traits drove module configuration within host-parasite mixed networks. Our results showed that different forms of parasitism respond differently to the environment: modularity in fish-ectoparasite networks increased with human perturbation, but modularity was not related to human perturbation in fish-endoparasite networks. In addition, mixed network modules were intrinsically related to individual variation, with host intensity of infection being the most important trait, regardless of the parasite's life form. The effect of total abundance over network structure indicates signs of changes in community equilibrium, with an increase in species with opportunistic behaviors. Module composition was also related to host fitness and body size, which were most predictive in more preserved and diverse river sections. Overall, our results indicate that host-parasite networks are sensitive to ecological gradients marked by human perturbation and that host individual fitness helps to determine network structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Lula Costa
- Federal University of Paraná - Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation; Department of Botany, Federal University of Paraná, Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos Avenue, 100 - Paraná, Brazil, 81530-000.
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Andre Andrian Padial
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Paraná, Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos Avenue, 100 - Paraná, Brazil, 81530-000.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bat-parasite interaction networks in urban green areas in northeastern Brazil. Parasitology 2023; 150:262-268. [PMID: 36529860 PMCID: PMC10090594 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Interaction networks can provide detailed information regarding ecological systems, helping us understand how communities are organized and species are connected. The goals of this study were to identify the pattern of interaction between bats and ectoparasites in urban green areas of Grande Aracaju, Sergipe, and calculate connectance, specialization, nesting, modularity and centrality metrics. Bats were captured using 10 mist nets inside and on the edges of the fragments, and the collected ectoparasites were stored in 70% alcohol. All analyses were performed using R software. The interaction network consisted of 10 species of bats and 13 ectoparasites. Connectivity was considered low (0.12). The specialization indices for ectoparasites ranged from 0.50 to 1.00, and the value obtained for the network was 0.96, which is high. The observed nesting metric was low (wNODF = 1.47), whereas the modularity was high (wQ = 0.74), indicating that the studied network had a modular topology. All centrality metrics had low values. The observed modularity may have been caused by the evolutionary history of the bats and ectoparasites involved and the high specificity index of the interactions. The low centrality values may be associated with low connectivity and a high degree of specialization. This study provides relevant information on bat–parasite interactions in an urban environment, highlighting the need for further studies to improve our understanding of host–parasite interaction networks.
Collapse
|
12
|
Rivera CL, Padilla JF, Ospina Pérez EM, Urbano FM, Guarín DV, Mejía Fontecha IY, Ossa López PA, Rivera Páez FA, Ramírez-Chaves HE. Interaction Networks between Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and Ectoparasitic Flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) in the Colombian Orinoquia Region. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2022.24.2.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila López Rivera
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Juliana Florez Padilla
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Erika M. Ospina Pérez
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Freddy Méndez Urbano
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Daniela Velásquez Guarín
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Ingrith Y. Mejía Fontecha
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Paula A. Ossa López
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A. Rivera Páez
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Apartado Aéreo 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Dos Santos da Silva A, Barbier E, Júnior WRT, da Silva LAM, de Oliveira JB. Parasitism on bats by bat flies in remnants of a humid forest enclave area in Northeastern Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2023; 37:100826. [PMID: 36623906 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Flies are the main bloodsucking ectoparasites of Neotropical bats. The aim of this study was to describe the community of flies on bats from a humid forest enclave, surrounded by the semiarid landscape of the Caatinga domain, in Northeastern Brazil. In addition, we tested the influence of dry and rainy periods on the parasitological indices. Fieldwork was carried out in three anthropized remnants of a humid forest enclave in the Agreste mesoregion of Pernambuco state, Northeastern Brazil. Bats were captured monthly, from August 2018 to July 2019, and the ectoparasites were collected. Overall, 807 bats of 14 species and 11 genera of the families Phyllostomidae (13 spp.) and Vespertilionidae (1 sp.) were captured. Only four bat species had >50 individuals captured, and Carollia perspicillata was the most abundant species (259/807; 32%). Five hundred and seventy-one bat flies from 13 species (11 Streblidae and 2 Nycteribiidae) were collected, of which Trichobius joblingi was the most prevalent fly (197/571; 34.5%). Only the parasitism by T. joblingi was influenced by seasonality, with higher prevalence (P = 0.01) and intensity of infestation (P = 0.02) in the dry season. No lesions associated with parasitism were observed in any of the captured bats. Our results suggest that the bat-fly relationship can be affected in different ways by environmental variables, depending on the species involved. The results of this work contribute to the knowledge about ectoparasites of bats in the Neotropical region, with emphasis on humid forest enclaves, where studies of the host-parasite-environment relationship are scarce.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allyson Dos Santos da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Eder Barbier
- Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Wallace Rodrigues Telino Júnior
- Laboratório de Ensino de Zoologia (LABEZoo), Universidade Federal do Agreste de Pernambuco, Avenida Bom Pastor, 55292-270 Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Luiz Augustinho Menezes da Silva
- Grupo de Estudo de Morcegos do Nordeste (GEMNE), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória de Santo Antão, Núcleo de Biologia, Rua Alto do Reservatório, s/n, 55608-680 Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Bianque de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ectoparasitic flies of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban green areas of northeastern Brazil. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:117-126. [PMID: 36289082 PMCID: PMC9607744 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07703-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In urban and degraded areas, ectoparasite abundance can be affected by increasing human population density and habitat fragmentation. This study aimed to characterize the ectoparasitic fly community associated with bats in the urban green areas of Sergipe, Brazil. Campaigns were conducted monthly, for two consecutive nights, between September 2019 and February 2021. To capture the bats, ten mist nets were set up inside and at the edge of the habitat fragments. All ectoparasites found were removed from the bats and stored in 70% alcohol. The specificity index, parasitological rates, and level of parasite aggregation were calculated, and the influence of host sex and seasonality on parasitological rates were verified for the most parasitized bats. The collected ectoparasites corresponded to the families Nycteribiidae (S = 1; n = 26) and Streblidae (S = 13; n = 849), with Trichobius costalimai and Medistopoda aranea being the most abundant species. For some interactions, there was an influence of host sex on the prevalence rates, with the highest number of parasites being found on females, which can be explained by their greater susceptibility to parasitism owing to their long stay in roosts. The seasonality influenced the parasitological rates, and opposing patterns (from what was expected) were observed for some interactions; this influence may be due to the biological differences between parasite species. This study provides relevant data on this interaction, especially for urban areas in northeastern Brazil, expanding the number of studies in the State of Sergipe and promoting future studies.
Collapse
|
15
|
Mello RM, Laurindo RS, Silva LC, Pyles MV, Bernardi LFO, Mancini MCS, Dáttilo W, Gregorin R. Configuration and composition of human-dominated tropical landscapes affect the prevalence and average intensity of mite and fly infestation in Phyllostomidae bats. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:127-137. [PMID: 36308532 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07704-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of natural areas into agricultural landscapes results in different mosaics of land use types, modifying biodiversity and consequently altering the patterns of ecological interactions, such as between frugivorous bats and ectoparasites. Our objectives were to investigate whether variations in the configuration and composition of human-disturbed landscapes interfere with the prevalence and average intensity of ectoparasite infestation in the frugivorous bats Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818), Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), and Sturnira lilium (É Geoffroy, 1810), in a region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We also evaluated whether there is a response in the parasite load associated with the ectoparasite group (mite or fly). We found six species of flies and three mites. The proportion of infested hosts was more affected by the landscape than the mean infestation values. Land cover diversity influenced seven of the interactions studied. Forest cover affected eight of the interactions and was associated with a reduction in the parasite load in seven of them. The increase in the proportion of edges per area of each fragment presented a different influence related to the host species. Variations in parasite load did not show any typical response related to the mite or fly group. Our study indicates that landscape configuration and composition interfere with bat-ectoparasite interactions, which may be related to interference in encounter rates between hosts (for mites and flies) and between hosts and their ectoparasites in roosts (for flies). The taxonomic identity of the interacting species suggests that the relationship with the landscape is context-dependent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo M Mello
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
| | - Rafael S Laurindo
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Lilith C Silva
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Marcela V Pyles
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Leopoldo F O Bernardi
- PNPD/Capes, Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Matheus C S Mancini
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A. C, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Renato Gregorin
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Urbieta GL, Graciolli G, da Cunha Tavares V. Review of studies about bat-fly interactions inside roosts, with observations on partnership patterns for publications. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3051-3061. [PMID: 36048267 PMCID: PMC9433524 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07635-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Pressures from anthropogenic disturbances have triggered a wealth of studies focusing on the assessment and mitigation of the negative impacts of these disturbances on inter and intraspecific ecological interactions, including bats and bat flies in their roosts. The heterogeneity of research methods employed for these studies and the scientific imbalance between countries may constrain advances and the consolidation of the knowledge on this subject. We reviewed the literature regarding bat and bat-ectoparasite interactions in roosts assessing global research trends and patterns of author collaborative work to be able to identify key questions for future studies and potential initiatives to improve the knowledge on this subject. Current information available has mostly come from the Americas and is predominantly focused on the recognition and description of parasite-host interactions between bats and bat flies. Our findings suggest the value of increasing collaboration for future research, as several countries with largely diverse environments and high organismal richness are disconnected from the countries that produce the most publications in this area, and/or have low records of publications. These regions are in the Global South, mostly in South American and African countries. We suggest that more collaborative networks may increase scientific production in the area, and that investing in local research development and enhancing partnerships for publications may strengthen the field. These research programs and collaborations are key for the development of conservation strategies for bats and bat flies, for their roosts, and for understanding bat and bat-ectoparasite interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Lima Urbieta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Mamíferos, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, PB, 58059-900, Brazil.
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução (LSEE), Instituto de Biociências (INBIO), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Valéria da Cunha Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Brazil
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale (ITV), Belém, PA, 66055-090, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Viral Hyperparasitism in Bat Ectoparasites: Implications for Pathogen Maintenance and Transmission. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061230. [PMID: 35744747 PMCID: PMC9230612 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans continue to encroach on the habitats of wild animals, potentially bringing different species into contact that would not typically encounter each other under natural circumstances, and forcing them into stressful, suboptimal conditions. Stressors from unsustainable human land use changes are suspected to dramatically exacerbate the probability of zoonotic spillover of pathogens from their natural reservoir hosts to humans, both by increasing viral load (and shedding) and the interface between wildlife with livestock, pets and humans. Given their known role as reservoir hosts, bats continue to be investigated for their possible role as the origins of many viral outbreaks. However, the participation of bat-associated ectoparasites in the spread of potential pathogens requires further work to establish. Here, we conducted a comprehensive review of viruses, viral genes and other viral sequences obtained from bat ectoparasites from studies over the last four decades. This review summarizes research findings of the seven virus families in which these studies have been performed, including Paramyxoviridae, Reoviridae, Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Nairoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Filoviridae. We highlight that bat ectoparasites, including dipterans and ticks, are often found to have medically important viruses and may have a role in the maintenance of these pathogens within bat populations.
Collapse
|
18
|
Bernal-Valle S, Teixeira MN, de Araújo Neto AR, Gonçalves-Souza T, Feitoza BF, Dos Santos SM, da Silva AJ, da Silva RJ, de Oliveira MAB, de Oliveira JB. Parasitic infections, hematological and biochemical parameters suggest appropriate health status of wild coati populations in anthropic Atlantic Forest remnants. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 30:100693. [PMID: 35431063 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coatis are hosts of a great diversity of parasites, that due to anthropic pressures in forest fragments, like changes in landscapes and ecosystems, can influence the dynamics and physiological responses to those parasite infections, affecting the animal's health and fitness. This is the first study about health parameters and parasitic infections of wild coati (Nasua nasua) populations in the Atlantic Forest (Pernambuco Center of Endemism). The following hypotheses were evaluated: (i) infections and co-infections by gastrointestinal parasites and ectoparasites can generate changes in the health parameters of coatis such as the body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), leukogram, and serum protein profile; (ii) biological aspects (sex and age) or fragment they inhabit, can influence changes in the health parameters (BCS, PCV, leukogram and serum protein profile). Were studied 55 free-living coatis in three anthropized forest remnants in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. After chemical containment, the animals were submitted to physical examination and collection of biological samples (blood, feces, and ectoparasites). On the physical examination, 23.6% of coatis had a low BCS and 5.4% were overweighted. Amblyomma spp. ticks were found in 83.6% of the animals of all studied remnants, A. sculptumAmblyomma sculptum in 12.7% and A. ovale in 1.8%. Regarding gastrointestinal parasites, Ancylostoma sp. was the most prevalent (80.4%) and most animals (66.7%) had co-infection with Ancylostoma sp. and Capillaria sp., Strongyloides sp., Acanthocephala, Cestoda, and Coccidia. The 76.5% of the coatis presented co-infections with Ancylostoma spp. + Amblyomma spp. Principal coordinates analyses (PCoA) scores of health parameters were used as dependent variables and fragment, sex, age, Ancylostoma sp. infection, gastrointestinal parasites co-infection, Amblyomma spp. infestation and co-infection of Ancylostoma sp. + Amblyomma spp. as a predictor variable in the linear models. Parasites did not influence the PCV of the individuals, but a decrease was evident in adult animals. Variations in protein profile, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, without leaving the normal range for the species, but WBC were predicted by age group, and infections by Ancylostoma or Amblyomma spp., but not their co-infections. The free-living coati populations of the anthropized remnants in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil proved to be healthy and seem to be adapted to face the challenges of anthropization and parasitic infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Bernal-Valle
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Miriam Nogueira Teixeira
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária (LPCV), Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Antônio Rodrigues de Araújo Neto
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária (LPCV), Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Thiago Gonçalves-Souza
- Laboratório de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação de Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Feliciano Feitoza
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Sybelle Montenegro Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Andreza Jocely da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo José da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Maria Adélia Borstelmann de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecofisiologia e Comportamento Animal, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Bianque de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Tai YL, Lee YF, Kuo YM, Kuo YJ. Effects of host state and body condition on parasite infestation of bent-wing bats. Front Zool 2022; 19:12. [PMID: 35248083 PMCID: PMC8898463 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00457-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ectoparasites inhabit the body surface or outgrowths of hosts and are usually detrimental to host health and wellbeing. Hosts, however, vary in quality and may lead ectoparasites to aggregate on preferred hosts, resulting in a heterogeneous distribution of parasite load among hosts. RESULTS We set out to examine the effects of host individual state and body condition on the parasite load of multiple nycteribiid and streblid bat flies and Spinturnix wing mites on eastern bent-wing bats Miniopterus fuliginosus in a tropical forest in southern Taiwan. We detected a high parasite prevalence of 98.9% among the sampled bats, with nearly 75% of the bats harboring three or more species of parasites. The parasite abundance was higher in the wet season from mid spring to early fall, coinciding with the breeding period of female bats, than in the dry winter season. In both seasonal periods, the overall parasite abundance of adult females was higher than that of adult males. Among the bats, reproductive females, particularly lactating females, exhibited a higher body condition and were generally most infested. The Penicillidia jenynsii and Nycteribia parvula bat flies showed a consistent female-biased infection pattern. The N. allotopa and Ascodipteron speiserianum flies, however, showed a tendency towards bats of a moderate to higher body condition, particularly reproductive females and adult males. CONCLUSIONS We found an overall positive correlation between parasite abundance and reproductive state and body condition of the host and female-biased parasitism for M. fuliginosus bats. However, the effects of body condition and female-biased infestation appear to be parasite species specific, and suggest that the mobility, life history, and potential inter-species interactions of the parasites may all play important roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yik Ling Tai
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Ya-Fu Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Yen-Min Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pawęska JT, Jansen van Vuren P, Storm N, Markotter W, Kemp A. Vector Competence of Eucampsipoda africana (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) for Marburg Virus Transmission in Rousettus aegyptiacus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Viruses 2021; 13:2226. [PMID: 34835032 PMCID: PMC8624361 DOI: 10.3390/v13112226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the vector competence of bat-associated nycteribiid flies (Eucamsipoda africana) for Marburg virus (MARV) in the Egyptian Rousette Bat (ERB), Rousettus aegyptiacus. In flies fed on subcutaneously infected ERBs and tested from 3 to 43 days post infection (dpi), MARV was detected only in those that took blood during the peak of viremia, 5-7 dpi. Seroconversion did not occur in control bats in contact with MARV-infected bats infested with bat flies up to 43 days post exposure. In flies inoculated intra-coelomically with MARV and tested on days 0-29 post inoculation, only those assayed on day 0 and day 7 after inoculation were positive by q-RT-PCR, but the virus concentration was consistent with that of the inoculum. Bats remained MARV-seronegative up to 38 days after infestation and exposure to inoculated flies. The first filial generation pupae and flies collected at different times during the experiments were all negative by q-RT-PCR. Of 1693 nycteribiid flies collected from a wild ERB colony in Mahune Cave, South Africa where the enzootic transmission of MARV occurs, only one (0.06%) tested positive for the presence of MARV RNA. Our findings seem to demonstrate that bat flies do not play a significant role in the transmission and enzootic maintenance of MARV. However, ERBs eat nycteribiid flies; thus, the mechanical transmission of the virus through the exposure of damaged mucous membranes and/or skin to flies engorged with contaminated blood cannot be ruled out.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janusz T. Pawęska
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Petrus Jansen van Vuren
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Nadia Storm
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Alan Kemp
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (P.J.v.V.); (N.S.); (A.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Urbieta GL, Graciolli G, Vizentin-Bugoni J. Modularity and specialization in bat-fly interaction networks are remarkably consistent across patches within urbanized landscapes and spatial scales. Curr Zool 2021; 67:403-410. [PMID: 34616937 PMCID: PMC8489009 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of specialization and the structure of interactions between bats and ectoparasitic flies have been studied mostly on non-urban environments and at local scales. Thus, how anthropogenic disturbances influence species interactions and network structure in this system remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated patterns of interaction between Phyllostomidae bats and ectoparasitic Streblidae flies, and variations in network specialization and structure across Cerrado patches within urbanized landscapes in Brazil and between local and regional scales. We found high similarity in the richness and composition of bat and fly species across communities, associated with low turnover of interactions between networks. The high specialization of bat–streblid interactions resulted in little connected and modular networks, with the emergence of modules containing subsets of species that interact exclusively or primarily with each other. Such similarities in species and interaction composition and network structure across communities and scales suggest that bat–fly interactions within Cerrado patches are little affected by the degree of human modification in the surrounding matrix. This remarkable consistency is likely promoted by specific behaviors, the tolerance of Phyllostomidae bats to surrounding urbanized landscapes as well as by the specificity of the streblid–bat interactions shaped over evolutionary time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Lima Urbieta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Jardim Universitário, s/n, Castelo Branco, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução (LSEE), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79090-900, Brazil
| | - Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Barbier E, Falcão F, Bernard E. Bat-ectoparasitic fly relationships in a seasonally dry tropical forest in Brazil. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3507-3517. [PMID: 34462805 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07301-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Bat ectoparasitic flies are hematophagous insects highly specialized to parasitize only bats. Knowledge about how biotic and abiotic factors can influence ecological relationships between parasites and hosts is in general incipient. Large information gaps are even worst in biodiversity-rich, but poorly sampled areas like Brazil's Caatinga, the largest tropical dry forest in South America. We used bats and their highly specialized ectoparasitic flies as a study model to clarify some aspects of this host-parasite system in this semiarid environment. We conducted fieldwork at 55 sites in the Caatinga, between April 2017 and March 2020 and collected 1300 flies (19 species) on 333 bats (15 species). Bat ectoparasitic flies were highly host-specific, had an aggregated distribution, frequently formed infracommunities with only one species, and had a male-biased sex ratio. Except for the prevalence of the streblid fly Strebla guajiro on Carollia perspicillata, which was significantly higher in the rainy season, bat flies showed no preference - expressed by frequency and intensity of infestation - for host sex, and their interspecific relationships were not mediated by rainfall. Other variables that could potentially be interfering in this host-parasite relationship deserve further attention, especially in environments such as the Caatinga where there is great seasonal variation. Furthermore, the existence of species-specific responses must be taken into account.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eder Barbier
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Fábio Falcão
- Tetrapoda Consultoria Ambiental, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tlapaya-Romero L, Santos-Moreno A, Ibáñez-Bernal S. Effect of seasonality and microclimate on the variation in bat-fly load (Diptera: Streblidae) in a cave bat assemblage in a dry forest. MAMMALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Seasonality causes fluctuations in the availability of resources, affecting the presence and abundance of animal species. These fluctuations can have an impact on parasite-host relationships, which in turn can be exacerbated by microclimatic changes to which bat-flies are exposed. We characterized the bat-fly load and evaluated the effect of seasonality on five bat species in a dry forest. We evaluated variations in microclimatic conditions inside the cave Cerro Huatulco between seasons and the response of the bat-fly load. We collected 1165 bat-fly specimens belonging to 16 species from 688 bats. The obtained results indicate that the mean abundance and infestation intensity exhibited changes between seasons in Artibeus jamaicensis, Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina, and Pteronotus parnellii. In the case of the effect of microclimate conditions, we observed that prevalence is negatively correlated with temperature in G. soricina, while mean abundance and mean infestation intensity were negatively related to temperature in A. jamaicensis and G. soricina. The present study provides significant information about host-parasite relationships in a dry forest and discusses the relevance of abiotic and biotic factors that could affect host-parasite interactions, as well as the importance of each parasite load parameter for the understanding of this interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Tlapaya-Romero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Animal , Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR), Instituto Politécnico Nacional , Calle Hornos No. 1003, Colonia Noche Buena, 71230 , Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán , Oaxaca , Mexico
| | - Antonio Santos-Moreno
- Laboratorio de Ecología Animal , Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR), Instituto Politécnico Nacional , Calle Hornos No. 1003, Colonia Noche Buena, 71230 , Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán , Oaxaca , Mexico
| | - Sergio Ibáñez-Bernal
- Red Ambiente y Sustentabilidad , Instituto de Ecología , A.C. Antigua Carretera a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya , Xalapa , C.P. 91070 Veracruz , Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
de Groot MD, Dumolein I, Hiller T, Sándor AD, Szentiványi T, Schilthuizen M, Aime MC, Verbeken A, Haelewaters D. On the Fly: Tritrophic Associations of Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040361. [PMID: 33322768 PMCID: PMC7770572 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is one of the most diverse and abundant modes of life, and of great ecological and evolutionary importance. Notwithstanding, large groups of parasites remain relatively understudied. One particularly unique form of parasitism is hyperparasitism, where a parasite is parasitized itself. Bats (Chiroptera) may be parasitized by bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea), obligate blood-sucking parasites, which in turn may be parasitized by hyperparasitic fungi, Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniomycetes). In this study, we present the global tritrophic associations among species within these groups and analyze their host specificity patterns. Bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales fungi are shown to form complex networks, and sixteen new associations are revealed. Bat flies are highly host-specific compared to Laboulbeniales. We discuss possible future avenues of study with regard to the dispersal of the fungi, abiotic factors influencing the parasite prevalence, and ecomorphology of the bat fly parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiel D. de Groot
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333CR Leiden, The Netherlands;
- Correspondence:
| | - Iris Dumolein
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (I.D.); (A.V.); (D.H.)
| | - Thomas Hiller
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 13, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany;
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamara Szentiványi
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, 1395 S. Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA;
| | - Menno Schilthuizen
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333CR Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - M. Catherine Aime
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA;
| | - Annemieke Verbeken
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (I.D.); (A.V.); (D.H.)
| | - Danny Haelewaters
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (I.D.); (A.V.); (D.H.)
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Palheta LR, Urbieta GL, Brasil LS, Dias-Silva K, Da Silva JB, Graciolli G, Aguiar LMS, Vieira TB. The Effect of Urbanization on Bats and Communities of Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) in the Amazon, Northern Brazil. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.2.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leandra R. Palheta
- Campus Universitário de Altamira, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira, PA, 68372-040, Brazil
| | - Gustavo L. Urbieta
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Leandro S. Brasil
- Campus Universitário de Altamira, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira, PA, 68372-040, Brazil
| | - Karina Dias-Silva
- Campus Universitário de Altamira, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira, PA, 68372-040, Brazil
| | - Jennifer B. Da Silva
- Campus Universitário de Altamira, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira, PA, 68372-040, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Instituto de Biociências (INBIO), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, MS, 79090-900, Brazil
| | - Ludmilla M. S. Aguiar
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília (UNB), Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Thiago B. Vieira
- Campus Universitário de Altamira, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Altamira, PA, 68372-040, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ajith Y, Dimri U, Madhesh E, Gopalakrishnan A, Verma MR, Samad HA, Reena KK, Chaudhary AK, Devi G, Bosco J. Influence of weather patterns and air quality on ecological population dynamics of ectoparasites in goats. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2020; 64:1731-1742. [PMID: 32556594 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-020-01952-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ectoparasitism has a damaging impact on the economy of goat production in India, but the factors influencing its distribution and dynamics are less explored. The present study was designed to investigate the influence of environmental factors like weather and air quality parameters on the occurrence of different types of ectoparasites in goats of two agro-climatic regions of India, viz. the Upper Gangetic Plain (UGP) and the Western Himalayas (WH). The prevalence survey for ectoparasitism among goats was conducted during the four distinct climatic seasons (winter, summer, monsoon, autumn) in both regions. The season-wise data of weather parameters (maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity in morning and evening, sunrise and sunset time, mean daily temperature and relative humidity, daily variation in temperature and relative humidity, and day length) and air quality parameters (air quality index (AQI), particulate matter 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particulate matter 10 μm (PM10)) of both regions were analyzed in relation with the ectoparasitic prevalence pattern of corresponding regions. The results depict a noticeable correlation between the studied parameters and seasonal variation in the occurrence of each type of ectoparasites. This outcome on the interaction of studied parameters and ectoparasitism is intriguing and it opens a huge scope for future studies on the biometeorological aspects of host-parasite ecological interplay and evolutionary biology. The better understanding of climatological aspects of ectoparasite occurrences helps goat farmers in formulating appropriate timely intervention strategies for the economic control of ectoparasites, which in turn tackles ectoparasiticidal drug resistance and reduces threat of vector-borne diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Ajith
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Mirzapur, UP, 231001, India.
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
| | - U Dimri
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - E Madhesh
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - A Gopalakrishnan
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - Med Ram Verma
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - H A Samad
- Division of Physiology & Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - K K Reena
- Division of Parasitology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - A K Chaudhary
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - G Devi
- Division of Medicine, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| | - J Bosco
- Division of Physiology & Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP, 243122, India
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Júnior LDF, De Araújo WS, Falcão LAD. Structure of the Interaction Networks Between Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and Ectoparasite Flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) on a Latitudinal Gradient. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.1.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leandro De Freitas Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros — Unimontes, Avenida Ruy Braga, S/N, MG, 39401-089, Brazil
| | - Walter S. De Araújo
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros — Unimontes, Avenida Ruy Braga, S/N, MG, 39401-089, Brazil
| | - Luiz A. D. Falcão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros — Unimontes, Avenida Ruy Braga, S/N, MG, 39401-089, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Hiller T, Brändel SD, Honner B, Page RA, Tschapka M. Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hiller
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panamá
| | - Stefan Dominik Brändel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panamá
| | - Benjamin Honner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
| | | | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Miguel PH, Kerches-Rogeri P, Niebuhr BB, Souza Cruz RA, Cezar Ribeiro M, Cruz Neto APD. Habitat amount partially affects physiological condition and stress level in Neotropical fruit-eating bats. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 237:110537. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
30
|
Bat flies aggregation on Artibeus planirostris hosts in the Pantanal floodplain and surrounding plateaus. Parasitology 2019; 146:1462-1466. [PMID: 31142391 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019000702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
For parasites in natural systems, the most common pattern of spatial distribution is aggregation among hosts. The main causes of such aggregation are variable exposure of hosts to parasites and heterogeneity in host susceptibility. The objective of this study was to determine if there are differences in the aggregation pattern of two species of ectoparasitic flies between the Pantanal and Cerrado regions of Brazil on the bat Artibeus planirostris. We collected the ectoparasites from bats captured between 2002 and 2017 with mist nets in 21 sites in the Pantanal and 15 sites in the surrounding plateaus. The results showed that the aggregation of ectoparasitic flies in Pantanal was more pronounced than in Cerrado. The discrepancy aggregation index (D) of the bat fly Megistopoda aranea was 0.877 in Pantanal and 0.724 in Cerrado. The D values of Aspidoptera phyllostomatis was even higher, with 0.916 and 0.848 in the Pantanal and Cerrado, respectively. Differences in the shelters used may be the main factor shaping variation in aggregation, since the Pantanal does not have rock formations, with only foliage, crowns and hollow tree trunks. These differences likely affect host exposure to the parasites, leading to an increase in parasite aggregation.
Collapse
|
31
|
Barbier E, Graciolli G, Bernard E. Structure and composition of Nycteribiidae and Streblidae flies on bats along an environmental gradient in northeastern Brazil. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bats can be parasitized by several arthropod groups, including ectoparasitic flies. The high host specificity is a common phenomenon between flies and bats. In recent years, more efforts have been employed to understand how environmental variables can influence richness and parasitic load (PL). However, many gaps still need to be filled to better understand this issue. We analyzed the PL of flies on bats sampled in three environments with different rain volume and vegetation types to verify if PL is correlated with rainfall and if there are differences in the PL on bats within and between environments. Overall, there was no correlation between rainfall and PL in the same environment, nor a difference between the three environments. When tested separately, Seba’s short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758)) had a difference in prevalence of flies between environments and flat-faced fruit-eating bats (Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823)) had a greater abundance of flies in the rainy season in a semiarid area. There was no difference in PL between male and female bats. Our results suggest that bat–fly interactions are driven by several factors, not only by the amount of rainfall or vegetation, and that different host species may respond differently with no obvious general pattern.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eder Barbier
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Prof. Nelson Chaves s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Avenida Costa e Silva, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, MS 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Prof. Nelson Chaves s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE 50670-420, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Haelewaters D, Hiller T, Dick CW. Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi: A Case of Hyperparasitism. Trends Parasitol 2019; 34:784-799. [PMID: 30097262 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Bats are parasitized by numerous lineages of arthropods, of which bat flies (Diptera, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are the most conspicuous. Bat flies themselves can be parasitized by Laboulbeniales, fungal biotrophs of arthropods. This is known as hyperparasitism, a severely understudied phenomenon. Three genera of Laboulbeniales occur on bat flies: Arthrorhynchus on Nycteribiidae, Gloeandromyces and Nycteromyces on Streblidae. In this review we introduce the parasitic partners in this tripartite system and discuss their diversity, ecology, and specificity patterns, alongside some important life history traits. Furthermore, we cover recent advances in the study of the associations between bat flies and Laboulbeniales, which were neglected for decades. Among the most immediate needs for further studies are detailed tripartite field surveys. The vermin only teaze and pinch Their foes superior by an inch So, naturalists observe, a flea Has smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em, And so proceed ad infinitum. Jonathan Swift (On Poetry: A Rhapsody, 1733).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danny Haelewaters
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama; Current affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, České Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Thomas Hiller
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama; Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carl W Dick
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA; Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Durán AA, Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Graciolli G, Peinado LC. Specialization and Modularity of a Bat Fly Antagonistic Ecological Network in a Dry Tropical Forest in Northern Colombia. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.2.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián A. Durán
- Grupo de Investigación en Zoología y Ecología Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo — Sucre, Colombia
| | - Romeo A. Saldaña-Vázquez
- Laboratorio de Análisis para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida San Juanito Itzicuaro SN, Col. Nueva Esperanza, C.P. 58330 Morelia,
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900 Campo Grande-MS, Brasil
| | - Laura C. Peinado
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900 Campo Grande-MS, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Urbieta GL, Torres JM, Anjos EACD, Carvalho CME, Graciolli G. Parasitism of Bat Flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) on Bats in Urban Environments: Lower Prevalence, Infracommunities, and Specificity. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.2.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo L. Urbieta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução (LSEE), Instituto de Biociências (INBIO), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), 79090-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Jaire M. Torres
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Elaine A. Carvalho Dos Anjos
- Bolsista CAPES - Proc. Number 1218-13-1, University of Manitoba,Biological Sciences Building, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Laboratório de Sistemática, Ecologia e Evolução (LSEE), Instituto de Biociências (INBIO), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), 79090-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Association of ectoparasites (Diptera and Acari) on bats (Mammalia) in a restinga habitat in northeastern Brazil. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3413-3420. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6034-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
36
|
Haelewaters D, Page RA, Pfister DH. Laboulbeniales hyperparasites (Fungi, Ascomycota) of bat flies: Independent origins and host associations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8396-8418. [PMID: 30250711 PMCID: PMC6145224 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasitic fungi (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales) that use bat flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) as hosts. Bat flies themselves live as ectoparasites on the fur and wing membranes of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera); hence this is a tripartite parasite system. Here, we collected bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales, and conducted phylogenetic analyses of Laboulbeniales to contrast morphology with ribosomal sequence data. Parasitism of bat flies by Laboulbeniales arose at least three times independently, once in the Eastern Hemisphere (Arthrorhynchus) and twice in the Western Hemisphere (Gloeandromyces, Nycteromyces). We hypothesize that the genera Arthrorhynchus and Nycteromyces evolved independently from lineages of ectoparasites of true bugs (Hemiptera). We assessed phylogenetic diversity of the genus Gloeandromyces by considering the LSU rDNA region. Phenotypic plasticity and position-induced morphological adaptations go hand in hand. Different morphotypes belong to the same phylogenetic species. Two species, G. pageanus and G. streblae, show divergence by host utilization. In our assessment of coevolution, we only observe congruence between the Old World clades of bat flies and Laboulbeniales. The other associations are the result of the roosting ecology of the bat hosts. This study has considerably increased our knowledge about bats and their associated ectoparasites and shown the necessity of including molecular data in Laboulbeniales taxonomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danny Haelewaters
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyFarlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogramic BotanyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusetts
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaPanama
| | | | - Donald H. Pfister
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyFarlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogramic BotanyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Lee VN, Mendenhall IH, Lee BPYH, Posa MRC. Parasitism by Bat Flies on an Urban Population of Cynopterus brachyotis in Singapore. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.1.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Naomi Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 129793, Singapore
| | - Ian H. Mendenhall
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Benjamin P. Y.-H. Lee
- Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569, Singapore
| | - Mary Rose C. Posa
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 129793, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions in anthropogenic neotropical landscapes at different spatial scales. Parasitology 2018; 146:74-88. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182018000732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes, and the consequent changes in the environmental conditions and resources availability at multiple spatial scales can affect complex species interactions involving key-stone species such as bat–parasite interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify the drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions at different spatial scales (at the host, vegetation stand and landscape level), in a tropical anthropogenic landscape. For this purpose, we mist-netted phyllostomid and moormopid bats and collected the bat flies (streblids) parasitizing them in 10 sites representing secondary and old growth forest. In general, the variation in fly communities largely mirrored the variation in bat communities as a result of the high level of specialization characterizing host–bat fly interaction networks. Nevertheless, we observed that: (1) bats roosting dynamics can shape bat–streblid interactions, modulating parasite prevalence and the intensity of infestation; (2) a degraded matrix could favor crowding and consequently the exchange of ectoparasites among bat species, lessening the level of specialization of the interaction networks and promoting novel interactions; and (3) bat–fly interaction can also be shaped by the dilution effect, as a decrease in bat diversity could be associated with a potential increase in the dissemination and prevalence of streblids.
Collapse
|
39
|
Cordero-Schmidt E, Barbier E, Vargas-Mena JC, Oliveira PP, Santos FDAR, Medellín RA, Herrera BR, Venticinque EM. Natural History of the Caatinga Endemic Vieira's Flower Bat, Xeronycteris vieirai. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2017.19.2.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Cordero-Schmidt
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078900 Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Eder Barbier
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670901 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Juan C. Vargas-Mena
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078900 Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Paulino Pereira Oliveira
- Laboratório de Micromorfologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, 44036-900, Novo Horizonte, BA, Brazil
| | - Francisco De Assis R. Santos
- Laboratório de Micromorfologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, 44036-900, Novo Horizonte, BA, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A. Medellín
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 70-275, 04510 México D.F., México
| | | | - Eduardo M. Venticinque
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078900 Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Bolívar-Cimé B, Cuxim-Koyoc A, Reyes-Novelo E, Morales-Malacara JB, Laborde J, Flores-Peredo R. Habitat fragmentation and the prevalence of parasites (Diptera, Streblidae) on three Phyllostomid bat species. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Bolívar-Cimé
- Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales; Universidad Veracruzana, Parque Ecológico “El Haya”; C.P. 91070 Xalapa Veracruz México
| | - Alan Cuxim-Koyoc
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Av. Itzaes No. 490 Centro C.P. 97000 Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Enrique Reyes-Novelo
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Av. Itzaes No. 490 Centro C.P. 97000 Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Juan B. Morales-Malacara
- Laboratorio de Espeleobiología y Acarología; Facultad de Ciencias campus Juriquilla; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Boulevard Juriquilla 3001 C.P. 76230 Querétaro Querétaro México
| | - Javier Laborde
- Red de Ecología Funcional; Instituto de Ecología A.C.; Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351 C.P. 91070 Xalapa Veracruz México
| | - Rafael Flores-Peredo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales; Universidad Veracruzana, Parque Ecológico “El Haya”; C.P. 91070 Xalapa Veracruz México
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Seasonal variation of gastro-intestinal helminths of three bat species in the dry forest of western Mexico. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
42
|
Korine C, Pilosof S, Gross A, Morales-Malacara JB, Krasnov BR. The effect of water contamination and host-related factors on ectoparasite load in an insectivorous bat. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:2517-2526. [PMID: 28735468 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5561-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined the effects of sex, age, and reproductive state of the insectivorous bat Pipistrellus kuhlii on the abundance and prevalence of arthropod ectoparasites (Macronyssidae and Cimicidae) in habitats with either sewage-polluted or natural bodies of water, in the Negev Desert, Israel. We chose water pollution as an environmental factor because of the importance of water availability in desert environments, particularly for P. kuhlii, which needs to drink on a daily basis. We predicted that parasite infestation rates would be affected by both environment and demographic cohort of the host. We found that female bats in the polluted site harbored significantly more mites than female bats in the natural site and that juveniles in the polluted site harbored significantly more cimicid individuals than juveniles in the natural site. We further found that age and sex (host-related factors) affected ectoparasite prevalence and intensity (i.e., the abundance of parasites) in the polluted site. Our results may suggest that the interaction between host-related and environment-related factors affected parasite infestations, with females and young bats being more susceptible to ectoparasites when foraging over polluted water. This effect may be particularly important for bats that must drink or forage above water for other wildlife that depend on drinking water for survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmi Korine
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Beersheba, Israel.
| | - Shai Pilosof
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Amit Gross
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Juan B Morales-Malacara
- Laboratorio Espeleobiología y Acarología, Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, 76230, Querétaro, C.P., Mexico
| | - Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Beersheba, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Salinas-Ramos VB, Zaldívar-Riverón A, Rebollo-Hernández A, Herrera-M LG. Seasonal variation of bat-flies (Diptera: Streblidae) in four bat species from a tropical dry forest. MAMMALIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2016-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Seasonality of climate promotes differences in abundance and species composition of parasites, affecting host-parasite interactions. Studies have reported seasonal variation in bat-flies, which are obligate bat ectoparasites. We characterized the bat-fly load of three insectivores [Pteronotus davyi (Gray), Pteronotus parnellii (Gray) and Pteronotus personatus (Wagner)] and one nectarivorous [Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Martínez and Villa-R.)] bat species in a tropical dry forest to test the existence of seasonality in response to the availability of resources during the wet and dry seasons. We collected 3710 bat-fly specimens belonging to six species and two genera from 497 bats. Most of the ectoparasite load parameters examined (mean abundance, mean intensity, richness, etc.), including comparisons among reproductive conditions and sex of the host, were similar in both seasons. Prevalence was the parameter that varied the most between seasons. The six bat-fly species were found in all bat species except P. personatus. The latter species and L. yerbabuenae had four and five bat-fly species in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This study provides significant information of ectoparasites ecology in relation to seasonality, contributes to the understanding of host-parasite relationships in tropical dry forests and discusses the relevance of the abiotic and biotic factors that could impact host-parasite interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , A. P. 70-153, Ciudad de México , C. P. 04510 , Mexico
| | - Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón
- Instituto de Biología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , C. P. 04510 , Mexico
| | - Andrea Rebollo-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Acarología, Facultad de Ciencias , Departamento de Biología Comparada , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , C. P. 04510 , Mexico
| | - L. Gerardo Herrera-M
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , A.P. 21, San Patricio, C. P. 48980 , Jalisco , Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Nassar JM, Galicia R, Ibarra A, Medellin RA. Tracking the origin of the smearing behavior in long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris spp.). Mamm Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
45
|
Barbier E, Graciolli G. Community of bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) on bats in the Cerrado of Central-West Brazil: hosts, aggregation, prevalence, infestation intensity, and infracommunities. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2016.1215042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eder Barbier
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Frank HK, Mendenhall CD, Judson SD, Daily GC, Hadly EA. Anthropogenic impacts on Costa Rican bat parasitism are sex specific. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4898-909. [PMID: 27547321 PMCID: PMC4979715 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
While anthropogenic impacts on parasitism of wildlife are receiving growing attention, whether these impacts vary in a sex-specific manner remains little explored. Differences between the sexes in the effect of parasites, linked to anthropogenic activity, could lead to uneven sex ratios and higher population endangerment. We sampled 1108 individual bats in 18 different sites across an agricultural mosaic landscape in southern Costa Rica to investigate the relationships between anthropogenic impacts (deforestation and reductions in host species richness) and bat fly ectoparasitism of 35 species of Neotropical bats. Although female and male bat assemblages were similar across the deforestation gradient, bat fly assemblages tracked their hosts closely only on female bats. We found that in female hosts, parasite abundance per bat decreased with increasing bat species richness, while in male hosts, parasite abundance increased. We hypothesize the differences in the parasite-disturbance relationship are due to differences in roosting behavior between the sexes. We report a sex-specific parasite-disturbance relationship and argue that sex differences in anthropogenic impacts on wildlife parasitism could impact long-term population health and survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chase D. Mendenhall
- Department of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
- Center for Conservation BiologyDepartment of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
- The Nature ConservancyArlingtonVirginia
| | - Seth D. Judson
- David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Gretchen C. Daily
- Department of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
- Center for Conservation BiologyDepartment of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
- Stanford Woods Institute for the EnvironmentStanfordCalifornia
| | - Elizabeth A. Hadly
- Department of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
- Stanford Woods Institute for the EnvironmentStanfordCalifornia
- Center for Innovation in Global HealthStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Zarazúa-Carbajal M, Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Sandoval-Ruiz CA, Stoner KE, Benitez-Malvido J. The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4037-44. [PMID: 27329173 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation type and seasonality promote changes in the species composition and abundance of parasite hosts. However, it is poorly known how these variables affect host-parasite interaction networks. This information is important to understand the dynamics of parasite-host relationships according to biotic and abiotic changes. We compared the specialization of host-bat fly interaction networks, as well as bat fly and host species composition between upland dry forest and riparian forest and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat flies were surveyed by direct collection from bats. Our results showed that host-bat fly interaction networks were more specialized in upland dry forest compared to riparian forest. Bat fly species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons, while host species composition was different between upland dry forest and riparian forest. The higher specialization in upland dry forest could be related to the differences in bat host species composition and their respective roosting habits. Variation in the composition of bat fly species between dry and rainy seasons coincides with the seasonal shifts in their species richness. Our study confirms the high specialization of host-bat fly interactions and shows the importance of biotic and abiotic factors to understand the dynamics of parasite-host interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Zarazúa-Carbajal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Romeo A Saldaña-Vázquez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico.
| | - César A Sandoval-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Artropodología y Salud, Escuela de Biología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio Edificio 112-A, Ciudad Universitaria Col. Jardines de San Manuel, C.P. 72570, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Kathryn E Stoner
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, MSC 4901, P.O. Box 30003, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA
| | - Julieta Benitez-Malvido
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Voigt CC, Kingston T. Responses of Tropical Bats to Habitat Fragmentation, Logging, and Deforestation. BATS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: CONSERVATION OF BATS IN A CHANGING WORLD 2015. [PMCID: PMC7124148 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-25220-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Land-use change is a key driver of the global biodiversity crisis and a particularly serious threat to tropical biodiversity. Throughout the tropics, the staggering pace of deforestation, logging, and conversion of forested habitat to other land uses has created highly fragmented landscapes that are increasingly dominated by human-modified habitats and degraded forests. In this chapter, we review the responses of tropical bats to a range of land-use change scenarios, focusing on the effects of habitat fragmentation, logging, and conversion of tropical forest to various forms of agricultural production. Recent landscape-scale studies have considerably advanced our understanding of how tropical bats respond to habitat fragmentation and disturbance at the population, ensemble, and assemblage level. This research emphasizes that responses of bats are often species and ensemble specific, sensitive to spatial scale, and strongly molded by the characteristics of the prevailing landscape matrix. Nonetheless, substantial knowledge gaps exist concerning other types of response by bats. Few studies have assessed responses at the genetic, behavioral, or physiological level, with regard to disease prevalence, or the extent to which human disturbance erodes the capacity of tropical bats to provide key ecosystem services. A strong geographic bias, with Asia and, most notably, Africa, being strongly understudied, precludes a comprehensive understanding of the effects of fragmentation and disturbance on tropical bats. We strongly encourage increased research in the Paleotropics and emphasize the need for long-term studies, approaches designed to integrate multiple scales, and answering questions that are key to conserving tropical bats in an era of environmental change and dominance of modified habitats (i.e., the Anthropocene).
Collapse
|
49
|
Cizauskas CA, Turner WC, Pitts N, Getz WM. Seasonal patterns of hormones, macroparasites, and microparasites in wild African ungulates: the interplay among stress, reproduction, and disease. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120800. [PMID: 25875647 PMCID: PMC4398380 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones, reproductive status, and pathogen load all affect stress. Together with stress, these factors can modulate the immune system and affect disease incidence. Thus, it is important to concurrently measure these factors, along with their seasonal fluctuations, to better understand their complex interactions. Using steroid hormone metabolites from fecal samples, we examined seasonal correlations among zebra and springbok stress, reproduction, gastrointestinal (GI) parasite infections, and anthrax infection signatures in zebra and springbok in Etosha National Park (ENP), Namibia, and found strong seasonal effects. Infection intensities of all three GI macroparasites examined (strongyle helminths, Strongyloides helminths, and Eimeria coccidia) were highest in the wet season, concurrent with the timing of anthrax outbreaks. Parasites also declined with increased acquired immune responses. We found hormonal evidence that both mares and ewes are overwhelmingly seasonal breeders in ENP, and that reproductive hormones are correlated with immunosuppression and higher susceptibility to GI parasite infections. Stress hormones largely peak in the dry season, particularly in zebra, when parasite infection intensities are lowest, and are most strongly correlated with host mid-gestation rather than with parasite infection intensity. Given the evidence that GI parasites can cause host pathology, immunomodulation, and immunosuppression, their persistence in ENP hosts without inducing chronic stress responses supports the hypothesis that hosts are tolerant of their parasites. Such tolerance would help to explain the ubiquity of these organisms in ENP herbivores, even in the face of their potential immunomodulatory trade-offs with anti-anthrax immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie A. Cizauskas
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | - Wendy C. Turner
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Neville Pitts
- School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Wayne M. Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Infection levels of the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta in rat populations from Buenos Aires, Argentina. J Helminthol 2015; 90:199-205. [DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x15000164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEcological studies on zoonotic parasites are crucial for the design and implementation of effective measures to prevent parasite transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors such as season, landscape unit, rat sex and rat body length, affecting the abundance of the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta, a parasite of synanthropic rats, within an urban environment. A parasitological survey was undertaken on 169 rats from landscape units such as shantytowns, parklands, industrial–residential areas and scrap-metal yards in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The overall prevalence of H. diminuta was 21.3%, although the occurrence of this species in rats was not homogeneous. The abundance of H. diminuta, using a zero-inflated negative binomial model, was correlated with rat body length. In shantytowns, abundance levels were higher than other landscape units, largely due to differences in individual environmental characteristics and rat assemblages. The populations of arthropod intermediate hosts could be subjected to seasonal fluctuations and the degree of urbanization. Shantytowns are overcrowded urban marginal settlements with most inhabitants living in precarious conditions and supporting large populations of rats, thereby increasing the risk of zoonotic infection.
Collapse
|