Abstract
BackgroundExtreme weather events such as summer heat waves become more frequent owing to global climate change and are predicted to alter disease dynamics. This is because high temperatures can reduce host immune function. Predicting the impact of climate change on host-parasite interactions is, however, difficult as temperature may also affect parasite infective stages and other host characteristics determining the outcome of interaction.MethodsTwo experiments were conducted to investigate these phenomena in a Lymnaea stagnalis–Echinoparyphium aconiatum (Trematoda) interaction. In the first experiment, the effects of exposure of snails to experimental heat waves [maintenance at 25°C vs. 15°C (control)] with different durations (3 days, 7 days) on the infection success of parasite cercariae was examined. In the second experiment, the infection success was examined under similar conditions, while controlling for the possible temperature effects on cercariae and at least partly also for host physiological changes that take place rapidly compared to alterations in immune function (exposure to cercariae at intermediate 20°C).ResultsIn the first experiment, increased infection success at 25°C was found independently of the duration of the heat wave. In the second experiment, increased infection success was found only in snails maintained at 25°C for 7 days, a treatment in which snail immune defence is known to be impaired.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the effects of host resistance in determining overall parasite infection success can be overridden by effects of temperature on parasite transmission stages and/or alterations in other host traits than immune defence.
Highlights
Extreme weather events such as summer heat waves become more frequent owing to global climate change and are predicted to alter disease dynamics
In this paper, we show that exposure of L. stagnalis snails to high temperature increased the infection success of E. aconiatum cercariae
When controlling for the effects of temperature on parasite transmission stages and potential temperature-dependent changes in host metabolism and physiology that may take place rapidly compared to changes in immune defence, only long-term maintenance at high temperature led to increased infection success
Summary
Extreme weather events such as summer heat waves become more frequent owing to global climate change and are predicted to alter disease dynamics. This is because high temperatures can reduce host immune function. Predicting the impact of climate change on host-parasite interactions is, difficult as temperature may affect parasite infective stages and other host characteristics determining the outcome of interaction. Predicting the effects of temperature on host-parasite interactions based only on the knowledge on host immune defence can, be difficult This is because parasite infection strategies as well as other host characteristics than immune function can be important in determining the outcome of interactions. Examining the infection success of parasites under high temperature and the role of altered host defences in determining this is in high demand
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