Thermodynamics of miracidial survival and metabolism

Abstract

Miracidia are short-lived, non-feeding (lecithotrophic) free-living stages of trematodes, whose survival is potentially influenced by temperature. Climate change may result in elevated temperatures affecting trematode transmission. Therefore understanding their thermobiology forms an important step in determining the future dynamics of parasite populations. An empirical relationship exists between the mean expected life span of lecithotrophic larvae and the half life of their population (t(0·5)) and therefore t(0·5) is a good indicator of glycogen utilization. In this study experimental data on the effects of temperature on miracidial survival were compiled from the scientific literature and evaluated in terms of metabolism using Q 10 and Arrhenius activation energy (E* or μ). Temperature poorly influenced survival/metabolism with all miracidia having distinct zone(s) of thermostability. Overall there were few differences in Q(10) and E* values between most species temperature ranges whilst there were only limited strain-specific variations in thermal responses of laboratory-maintained Schistosoma mansoni. Miracidia demonstrated a trend of greater thermal resistance than cercariae. In particular, comparative studies on 4 strains of the same species of miracidia and cercariae showed little correlation in thermal biology between the 2 life-history stages. The importance of these results for trematode transmission under global climate change is discussed.