Parasite Biodiversity Research Articles

Study on infestations and biodiversity of metazoan parasites in Channa punctatus (Bloch), Mymensingh region

An investigation was conducted on infestation and reviewed biodiversity of metazoan parasites in Channa punctatus of Mymensingh region from July 2013 to June 2014. A total of 235 fish were examined and 9 species of four groups of parasites were recorded. They were (i) Euclinostomum multicaecum Tubangui and Masilungan, 1935 (ii) Euclinostomum heterostomum (Rudolphi, 1809) (iii) Genarchopsis goppo Ozaki, 1925 (iv) Allocreadium handiai Pandey, 1937 (v) Senga ophiocephalina (Tseng, 1933) (vi) Porrocaecum sp. (vii) Ascaridia sp. (viii) Contracaecum sp. (ix) Pallisentis ophiocephali (Thapar, 1930).The maximum (86.67%) prevalence was found in (86.67%) October and minimum (35.00%) in December whereas the maximum mean intensity (10) was observed in June and the minimum (1.42) was recorded from December. The prevalence was observed higher (68.85%) in smaller size of fish and in case of larger fish the prevalence was lower and the value was (53.62%). On the other hand, the mean intensity (5.45) was higher in smaller fish and lower (3.39) in medium sized fish. Both prevalence and mean intensity was found maximum in female fish than male fish. Among the four groups of parasites, infestation of Digenetic trematode is much higher than Nematoda, Cestoda and Acanthocephala. During the study, a list of parasites reported from Channa punctatus of Indian sub-continent was prepared. It was found that 38 species of Digenea, 4 species of Cestoda, 26 species of Nematoda and 5 species Acanthocephala were recorded. The Biodiversity of parasites seemed to be declined day by day. The responsible factors for this declination may be environmental degradation, entry of exotic fish and modernization of aquaculture etc.
 J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(3): 409–416, 2019

Nematode Parasites of Anurans from Three Cocoa Farms in Ondo State, Nigeria

The research was designed to investigate the parasitic fauna of Anurans from cocoa farms in Ondo state. Amphibians are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates. Many reasons are attributed to the decline of amphibian species such as global warming, habitat destruction and modification, others include: exploitation, pesticide use, introduced species, ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B), pollution, parasites and diseases. A total of 31 frogs from 4 genera, Hemisus, Ptychadena, Rana and Xenopus and 7 toads from 1 genus, Sclerophrys were examined. 9 frogs were collected from Oluwateru farm at Iwoye Village; 7 frogs were collected from Folorunso farm at Ako-Igbatoro and 15 frogs from Obodulu farm in Idanre. 5 toads were collected from Oluwateru farm at Iwoye Village and 2 toads from Obodulu farm in Idanre. In all cases collection was done between 20:00 hrs and 05:00 hrs. Collected specimens were transported in sealed but ventilated containers to the laboratory where identification was done to species level. The frogs were anaesthetized until death in absolute chloroform soaked in cotton wool placed inside kill-jar for 3 minutes in the laboratory. The gastrointestinal tracts were cut open and the contents of the various sections were put into separate Petri dishes containing normal saline. The skin and the bladder were observed directly under a dissecting microscope for the presence of cysts and monogeneans. The parasites were fixed and preserved in 70% alcohol following standard procedure. Parasites recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of the anurans include Cosmocerca ornata, Deising, 1861, Cosmocerca cummutata, Diesing, 1851 Paracosmocerca mucronata, Kung and Wu, 1945, Ampliceacum africanum, Taylor, 1924, Gendria liberrei Bain and Philipon, 1969 and Chenospirura asturi Hsu, 1957 Others were Procamallus brevis Kung, 1948 and Camallanus dimitrovi Durette- Desset and Batcharov, 1974. Some of the parasites are zoonotic while a few others are established parasites of African fishes and water Birds raising probable public health concerns from the findings. Further works aimed at unravelling the biodiversity of hosts and parasites in the lush ecosystem of Ondo state, as well as identification of organisms involved in the life cycle are noted.

Towards the resolution of the Microcotyle erythrini species complex: description of Microcotyle isyebi n. sp. (Monogenea, Microcotylidae) from Boops boops (Teleostei, Sparidae) off the Algerian coast

The monogenean Microcotyle erythrini is atypical because it has been recorded from several fish host species in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, in contrast to many species which are considered strictly specific. This could indicate a true lack of specificity or that several cryptic species are involved. This paper is a partial attempt to solve this problem. Specimens of a monogenean resembling M. erythrini were collected from bogues, Boops boops, caught off Algeria. A comparison with published descriptions and with museum specimens of M. erythrini did not yield any clear morphological difference. However, sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) differed by 16.3% from that of M. erythrini (from GenBank, material collected from the type-host Pagellus erythrinus), indicating that the species was different. The species from B. boops is therefore described here as Microcotyle isyebi n. sp. and differential diagnoses with Microcotyle species from the Mediterranean and from sparids are provided. These results suggest that a molecular re-evaluation of other M. erythrini-like specimens from various fish hosts could reveal the existence of additional parasite biodiversity.

Molecular characterization of nodule worm in a community of Bornean primates.

Strongyles are commonly reported parasites in studies of primate parasite biodiversity. Among them, nodule worm species are often overlooked as a serious concern despite having been observed to cause serious disease in nonhuman primates and humans. In this study, we investigated whether strongyles found in Bornean primates are the nodule worm Oesophagostomum spp., and to what extent these parasites are shared among members of the community. To test this, we propose two hypotheses that use the parasite genetic structure to infer transmission processes within the community. In the first scenario, the absence of parasite genetic substructuring would reflect high levels of parasite transmission among primate hosts, as primates’ home ranges overlap in the study area. In the second scenario, the presence of parasite substructuring would suggest cryptic diversity within the parasite genus and the existence of phylogenetic barriers to cross‐species transmission. By using molecular markers, we identify strongyles infecting this primate community as O. aculeatum, the only species of nodule worm currently known to infect Asian nonhuman primates. Furthermore, the little to no genetic substructuring supports a scenario with no phylogenetic barriers to transmission and where host movements across the landscape would enable gene flow between host populations. This work shows that the parasite's high adaptability could act as a buffer against local parasite extinctions. Surveys targeting human populations living in close proximity to nonhuman primates could help clarify whether this species of nodule worm presents the zoonotic potential found in the other two species infecting African nonhuman primates.

Microcotyle visa n. sp. (Monogenea: Microcotylidae), a gill parasite of Pagrus caeruleostictus (Valenciennes) (Teleostei: Sparidae) off the Algerian coast, Western Mediterranean.

Parasite biodiversity of fish of the southern part of the Mediterranean sea is still incompletely explored. We describe here Microcotyle visa n. sp. from the gill filaments of the bluespotted seabream Pagrus caeruleostictus (Valenciennes) (Sparidae) collected off the Algerian coast. The identity of fish hosts was confirmed by barcoding. Microcotyle visa n. sp. is herein described and illustrated. Analysis of the cox1 gene of the monogeneans revealed minor intraspecific variation (1.4%), an order of magnitude lower than the distance between this species and other Microcotyle species (10-15 %). Microcotyle visa n. sp. is distinguished from Microcotyle erythrini van Beneden & Hesse, 1863, a congener infesting sparids, on the basis of morphological (size of clamps, number of testes) and molecular (cox1) differences. This is the fourth member of the genus known to parasitise a sparid host. A species of Paramicrocotyle sp. included in the molecular analysis was nested within a robust Microcotyle + Paramicrocotyle clade; in the absence of demonstrated molecular and morphological differences, we consider that Paramicrocotyle Caballero & Bravo-Hollis, 1972 is a junior synonym of Microcotyle van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 and transfer two species of Paramicrocotyle as Microcotyle danielcarrioni (Martinez & Barrantes, 1977) n. comb. and Microcotyle moyanoi (Villalba & Fernandes, 1986) n. comb.

Nematode capilaridae in the tongue of Cerdocyon thous of free life in Brazil.

Studies of helminths in road-killed wild animals are still uncommon but may provide promising results since they can identify the parasites in juvenile and adult hosts and meet the recommendations of current discussions on bioethics that prioritize alternative methods for the use of animals. This study evaluated three Cerdocyon thous individuals that were donated after dying from being run over. Two of them had small nematode adults in the epithelial and connective tissues of the tongue. The diagnosis was based on the presence of eggs, observed in histological sections, and morphological characteristics of the nematodes in the tongue. Morphologically, this nematode has a body with transverse grooves, simple mouth opening and no lips, esophagus and stichosome with stichocytes and bacillary bands along the body, which is characteristic morphology of the family Capilariidae and genus Capillaria . The presence of this nematode in the tongue of C. thous is an extremely important fact that contributes to what is known about the biodiversity of zoonotic parasites in wild canid populations. However, an explanation for these findings remains unclear because, until now, this has not been observed in the biological cycle of the species.

Community structure of metazoan parasites from Pimelodus blochii in two rivers of the Western Brazilian Amazon: same seasonal traits, but different anthropogenic impacts.

The present investigation evaluated the influence of seasonality and locality on the structure of the parasite community of the catfish Pimelodus blochii. A total of 160 fish were collected from two rivers in the State of Acre, western Brazilian Amazon: 80 fish in River Acre and 80 in River Iaco, with 40 in each season (rainy and drought). The overall prevalence was 78.7% and 1461 parasite specimens (adults and larvae) were allocated in 22 taxa: 5 of Monogenea, 10 of Nematoda, 3 of Digenea, 1 of Cestoda and 3 of Crustacea. In drought season, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pimelodus and Demidospermus peruvianus were more prevalent in River Acre and Iaco, respectively. The parasite diversity (Brillouin index) as well as the prevalence and abundance of the monogeneans D. peruvianus, D. striatus, Demidospermus sp. and Ameloblastella sp. were higher in River Acre. The parasite community structure were dissimilar among rivers, and seasonally in River Iaco. These results suggest that environmental traits may overshadow seasonal influences on the parasite community structure, which may be related to the higher anthropization in River Acre. Furthermore, seasonality exerted less influence on the parasite community than expected, probably because the two rivers have different hydrological traits than those of other rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. New host and locality records expanded our knowledge of parasite biodiversity of P. blochii.

The geography of parasite discovery across taxa and over time.

We need reliable data on the spatial distribution of parasites in order to achieve an inventory of global parasite biodiversity and establish robust conservation initiatives based on regional disease risk. This requires an integrated and spatially consistent effort toward the discovery of new parasite species. Using a large and representative dataset on the geographical coordinates where 4943 helminth species were first discovered, we first test whether the geographical distribution of parasite species reports is spatially congruent across helminth higher taxa; i.e. whether areas, where many trematodes are found, are also areas where many nematodes or cestodes have been discovered. Second, we test whether the global geographical distribution of new helminth species reports has changed significantly over time, i.e. across the last few decades. After accounting for spatial autocorrelation in the data, we find no strong statistical support for either of the patterns we investigated. Overall, our results indicate that helminth species discoveries are both spatially incongruent among higher taxa of helminths, and inconsistent over time. These findings suggest that the global parasite discovery effort is inefficient, spatially biased and subject to idiosyncrasies. Coordinated biodiscovery programmes, involving research teams with expertise in multiple taxonomic groups, seem the best approach to remedy these issues.

Biodiversity of the metazoan parasites of Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1837) (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae) in anthropized environments from the Batalha River, São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract: Biodiversity of fish parasites is a field of significant growth worldwide, whether due to the advancement of fish farms or the important role of these organisms as indicators of environment quality and ecosystem health, making them useful tools in the conservation and maintenance of the biodiversity as a whole. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the structure and composition of the parasitic fauna of Prochilodus lineatus collected from two structurally distinct stretches of the Batalha River. Fifty specimens of P. lineatus were collected between June 2015 and June 2016. Of these 50 hosts, 875 parasite specimens were collected, divided into 30 species, belonging to seven groups: Myxozoa, Monogenea, Digenea, Acanthocephala, Nematoda, Copepoda and Hirudinea. In addition to new records of known parasites of P. lineatus for this locality, 13 species were newly recorded parasitizing this fish, including a new monogenean species (Tereancistrum sp. n.), with Monogenea being the most representative class in the study. The findings of this study expands the known geographic distribution of these parasite species and helps to increase the knowledge of the biodiversity of these organisms in different hosts and environments. In general, the structure and composition of the P. lineatus parasitic fauna did not seem to be influenced by the structural characteristics of the two stretches studied, due to the migratory habits of the host.

The parasitofauna of the Siberian sterlet Acipenser ruthenus marsiglii of the Lower Irtysh

In the Ob-Irtysh basin, studies on the parasitofauna of the Siberian sterlet are very limited and confined to the middle of the twentieth century. The decrease in the numbers of sterlet over the past half century may have led to a change in the qualitative and quantitative composition of the parasitofauna. The aim of this work is to study the parasitofauna of the Siberian sterlet in the rivers Irtysh and Tobol. 85 specimens of Siberian sterlet (L = 27.8–51.5 cm, 2+ – 6+) from the Tobol and Irtysh rivers were examined by the method of complete parasitological dissection during the periods from 5 to 21 June and from 14 to 22 July 2017. A comparison of the biodiversity of parasites was performed using the indices: Berger-Parker. 11 species of parasites were found, including four species specific to sturgeons: Cryptobia acipenseris (Joff, Lewashow, Boschenko, 1926), Haemogregarina acipenseris (Nawrotzky, 1914), Crepidostomum auriculatum (Wedl, 1858), Capillospirura ovotrichura (Skrjabin, 1924). Seven broadly specific species: Trichodina sp., Proteocephalus sp. (plerocercoids), Diplostomum chromatophorum mtc. (Vrown, 1931), Echinorhynchus cinctulus (Porta, 1905), Piscicola geometra (Linnaeus., 1761), Ergasilus sieboldi (Nordmann, 1832), Unionidae gen. sp. Cryptobia acipenseris and H. acipenseris were recorded for the first time in the Ob-Irtysh basin. C. acipenseris was found only in three fish from the total number of examined sterlet (3.5%). In the River Tobol the extent of infestation H. acipenseris was higher (22.7%) than in the River Irtysh 11.1%. The carriers of C. acipenseris and H. acipenseris in the Lower Irtysh are allegedly leeches of Piscicola geometra (10.6%). The most common parasites found were C. auriculatum (32.9%) and C. ovotrichura (15.3%). In the River Irtysh, metacercariae of Diplostomum chromatophorum (Vrown, 1931) (metacercariae) were discovered in the lens of the eye in the studied fish. The maximum EI of this parasite was noted in the fish sample near the city of Tobolsk – 12.5% with AI – 1 and IO – 0.12. In the Gornoslinkino area in June and July, the infection level was low (EI 4.3% and 8.3%, respectively). In the June sample of fish from the River Tobol no metacercariae of this species were detected. Single cases of infection of Proteocephalus sp. (plerocercoid), E. cinctulus, E. sieboldi, Unionidae gen. sp. were found. In the River Irtysh the parasitofauna was dominated by C. ovotrichura, in the River Tobol – C. auriculatum. The number of parasite species noted in the Siberian sterlet in the Ob-Irtysh basin according to our own and literary data is greater than that found in sterlet from the River Yenisei: 18 and 11 respectively. Common to the sterlet of the two basins are 8 species of parasites: Cryptobia acipenseris, Diclybothrium armatum, Crepidostomum auriculatum, Capillospirura ovotrichuria, Truttaedacnitis clitellarius, Echinorhynchus cinctulus, Piscicola geometra, Unionidae gen. sp. The fauna of the Ob-Irtysh basin was enriched by the "southern" narrowly specific parasite of sturgeon – H. acipenseris. For many years the infection of C. auriculatum has practically not changed.

Poor geographical match between the distributions of host diversity and parasite discovery effort.

Mapping global parasite diversity is crucial to identify geographical hotspots of emerging disease, and guide public health and conservation efforts. In principle, assuming a bottom-up coupling between the diversity of resources and consumers, the geographical distribution of parasite diversity should match that of host diversity. We test the expected spatial congruence between host and parasite diversity for helminth parasites of vertebrate hosts, across grid cells of a global map. Using high-resolution databases on host species distributions and newly compiled data on the geographical distribution of parasite species discovery, we found positive covariation between host species richness and the number of parasite species discovered, for all vertebrate groups, regardless of the analytical method used, spatial autocorrelation, and spatial resolution. However, all associations were very weak, indicating a poor match between host species richness and parasite species discovery. The research deficit in parasite discovery peaks in areas corresponding to hotspots of host diversity, where disproportionately fewer new parasites are discovered than expected based on local host richness. This spatially biased research effort prevents a full inventory of parasite biodiversity, and impedes predictions of where new diseases may emerge. The host taxon-specific maps we produced, however, can guide future efforts to uncover parasite biodiversity.

Phylogenetic uniqueness, not latitude, explains the diversity of avian blood parasite communities worldwide

AbstractAimCharacterizing macroecological patterns in biodiversity is key to improve our understanding of community assembly. Global biodiversity for many taxa follows a latitudinal gradient, with increased diversity in tropical latitudes. Less is known about global parasite biodiversity, inhibiting our ability to predict how global change will impact parasitic disease emergence. Using distribution and phylogenetic data for 2,386 avian haemosporidian blood parasites (genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon), I assessed how contemporary and historical drivers influence the composition of parasite communities worldwide.LocationGlobal.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedHaemosporidian blood parasites.MethodsParasite distribution and cytochrome b sequence data were accessed from an open‐source database. Bayesian phylogenetic tree distributions were constructed for each parasite genus using two substitution models to capture uncertainty. Hierarchical regressions assessed effects of environmental variation, latitude and phylogenetic β‐diversity (βdiv; a proxy for phylogenetic uniqueness) on the diversity and asymmetry of parasite communities around the globe.ResultsI uncovered biodiversity hotspots and identified broad variation in global diversity patterns among parasite genera. Community diversity increased with increasing phylogenetic uniqueness for all three parasite genera; however, these diverse and unique regions did not consistently occur in the tropics. I found no evidence of a latitudinal diversity gradient, and support for a latitudinal gradient in community phylogenetic asymmetry was weak.Main conclusionsGlobal variation in avian haemosporidian phylogenetic diversity does not reflect a latitudinal gradient. Instead, parasite biogeography may reflect fundamental differences in host‐switching tendencies or the timing of avian evolutionary radiations. Examining the interplay between shared evolutionary history and phylogenetic diversity can provide important insights into the drivers of parasite biodiversity at global scales.

<b>Biodiversity and ecology of the parasitic infracommunities of <i>Loricaria prolixa</i> (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Tietê-Batalha Basin, SP, Brazil

The parasitic biodiversity of the Loricaria prolixa , an endemic fish from the Parana and Prata basins was studied and analyzed the parasitic’s communities dynamics and their ecological relations with this host. Samples were collected in the Batalha River and 39 specimens were analyzed from 2014 to 2016. All fishes were parasitized. The component community was composed by twelve species with 8694 metazoan found on the surface, gills, eyes, brain, intestine and blood of the hosts. Demidospermus spirophallus, Diplostomidae gen. sp., Rhabdochona kidderi and Oligobdella sp. showed higher values for the parasitism's ecological descriptors, and were centrals and dominants species. The infracommunities were characterized by specific richness smaller in relation to diversity, and both superior to equitability (H’ = 0.94; J = 0.6; d = 0.83). There was a significant positive correlation between the host standard length and the parasite abundance of D. spirophallus , Diplostomidae gen. sp. and Oligobdella sp., while Procamallanus ( Spirocamallanus ) inopinatus presented a significant negative correlation. This is the first contribution concerning the parasite biodiversity of L. prolixa. Clinostomum detruncatum , Diplostomidae gen. sp., Austrodiplostomum compactum , R. kidderi , P. ( S. ) inopinatus , P. ( S. ) rebecae , Cucullanus pinnai pinnai , Oligobdella sp. and Trypanosoma sp. were first recorded in this host.

Captive individuals of endangered Philippine raptors maintain native feather mites (Acariformes: Pterolichoidea) species.

Endangered species of hosts are coupled with endangered species of parasites, which share the risk of co-extinction. Conservation efforts sometimes include breeding of rare species in captivity. Data on parasites of captive populations of endangered species is scarce and the ability of small numbers of captive host individuals to support the biodiversity of native parasites is limited. Examination of ectosymbionts of the critically endangered Philippine eagles and the endangered Mindanao Hawk-Eagle kept at the Philippine Eagle Center, Philippines, revealed three feather mite species despite regular treatment with insecticide powder. No other ectosymbiont taxa were detected. Studies in morphology and molecular phylogeny of these feather mites based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers indicate that species found were typical for Accipitridae. Three new pterolichoid feather mite species (Acari: Pterolichoidea) were described from two species of eagles (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) endemic to the Philippines: Hieracolichus philippinensis sp. n. (Gabuciniidae) and Pseudalloptinus pithecophagae sp. n. (Pterolichidae) from the Great Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi Ogilvie-Grant, 1896, and Pseudogabucinia nisaeti sp. n. (Kramerellidae) from the Mindanao Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus pinskeri Gould, 1863. The presence of H. philippinensis on P. jefferyi supports the recent finding that the Great Philippine Eagle belongs to the lineage of serpent eagles (Circaetinae) rather than to the Harpy and other eagles.

A new species of Neoechinorhynchus (Eoacanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from the freshwater fish Ageneiosus inermis (Siluriformes) in the Brazilian Amazon

This work describes a new species of the genus Neoechinorhynchus, a parasite found in the Siluriformes fish, Ageneiosus inermis collected in Catalão Lake. This species is most closely related to N. (N.) pterodorides and N. (N.) pimelodis than other species registered in Brazil. The size of its trunk, hooks and male reproductive system distinguish it from these 2 species. This work contributes to increase the knowledge of the biodiversity of fish parasites in the Amazon.

Molecular identification of parasitic nematodes (Nematoda: Strongylida) in feces of wild ruminants from Tunisia

In Tunisia and other North African countries, there is a lack of knowledge about parasite biodiversity within threatened wild ruminants and there are not any studies on their gastrointestinal nematodes. Thus the aim of this study was to identify gastrointestinal fauna in the faecal samples of Tunisian wild ruminants. A total of 262 faecal samples were collected from domestic sheep and goat, and wild ruminants (Addax, Barbary sheep, Barbary red deer, Dorcas gazelle, Slender-horned gazelle and Scimitar-horned Oryx) living in protected areas. Samples were examined with floatation (saturated sodium chloride solution), polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA. Microscopic analysis allowed the identification of only Nematodirus genus or molecular tools allowed a first identification of five gastrointestinal nematode species in North African wild ruminants: Chabertia ovina (1.6%), Camelostrongylus mentulatus (1.6%), Marshallagia marshalli (4.7%), Nematodirus helvetianus (62.5%) and Nematodirus spathiger (29.7%). This study reported the first records of C. mentulatus and M. marshalli in Addax and of M. marshalli in Dorcas gazelle and it was the first reported record of N. helvetianus and M. marshalli in Tunisia.

A Bayesian analysis of the parasitic ecology in Jenynsia multidentata(Pisces: Anablepidae)

ABSTRACT Jenynsia multidentata Jenyns, 1842 (one-sided livebearers) are euryhaline viviparous fish of small size, used in the laboratory experiment, important as resource for biological control of mosquito’s larva and a key species to recover eutrophic lakes. Works have been published dealing with parasite biodiversity of this host, but little has been studied about the parasite community ecology. From early 2009 to ends of 2010 specimens of J. multidentata were collected from two places, the Salado Relief Channel (S.R.C.) on Samborombón Bay and the Sauce Chico River near to the city of Bahia Blanca (B.B.). All fish were sexed, measured and grouped into sizes/age classes. The fishes from both sites harbored 16 parasitic species: nine digenean, one monogenean, one metacestode, one acanthocephalan, two nematode and two copepods. Lecithaster confusus Odhner, 1905, the metacercariae Hemiuridae gen. sp. indet., metacercariae Thylodelphys sp. (inside the eye), Glossocercus sp. nematode L4 (intestine) and Ergasilus sieboldii Nordmann, 1832 are new records for the host. The high number of larval stages made of this fish a link between micro and macroecosystems. The size 2 had the higher biodiversity in both sites, which could be the most suitable age to store the maximal number of parasite of the environment and have a more equitability in their distribution on the host. In B.B. some parasites had higher prevalence and mean abun dance due to the small size of the waterbody compared with the S.R.C. Despite that, in S.R.C. exist a higher specific richness and biodiversity due the daily flow of saline and freshwater and proximity of the sample site to the mouth of the channel in the bay. This is the first approximation to an analysis of the parasitic ecology on this host.

Disparate gain and loss of parasitic abilities among nematode lineages.

Plant parasitism has arisen time and again in multiple phyla, including bacteria, fungi, insects and nematodes. In most of these organismal groups, the overwhelming diversity hampers a robust reconstruction of the origins and diversification patterns of this trophic lifestyle. Being a moderately diversified phylum with ≈ 4,100 plant parasites (15% of total biodiversity) subdivided over four independent lineages, nematodes constitute a major organismal group for which the genesis of plant parasitism could be mapped. Since substantial crop losses worldwide have been attributed to less than 1% of these plant parasites, research efforts are severely biased towards this minority. With the first molecular characterisation of numerous basal and supposedly harmless plant parasites as well as their non-parasitic relatives, we were able to generate a comprehensive molecular framework that allows for the reconstruction of trophic diversification for a complete phylum. In each lineage plant parasites reside in a single taxonomic grouping (family or order), and by taking the coverage of the next lower taxonomic level as a measure for representation, 50, 67, 100 and 85% of the known diversity was included. We revealed distinct gain and loss patterns with regard to plant parasitism per se as well as host exploitation strategies between these lineages. Our map of parasitic nematode biodiversity also revealed an unanticipated time reversal in which the two most ancient lineages showed the lowest level of ecological diversification and vice versa.

Co-infection patterns of intestinal parasites in arboreal primates (proboscis monkeys, Nasalis larvatus) in Borneo.

Non-human primates of South-East Asia remain under-studied concerning parasite epidemiology and co-infection patterns. Simultaneously, efforts in conservation demand knowledge of parasite abundance and biodiversity in threatened species. The Endangered proboscis monkey, Nasalis larvatus, a primate flagship species for conservation in Borneo, was investigated in the present study. Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the greatest threats to bachelor and harem groups of this folivorous colobine. Designed as a follow-up study, prevalence and co-infection status of intestinal parasites from N. larvatus in a protected area in Malaysian Borneo were analyzed from fecal samples using a flotation method. For the first time, the intestinal parasite co-infection patterns were examined using quantitative analyses. Overall, 92.3% of fecal samples (N = 652) were positive for helminth eggs. Five helminth groups were detected: (1) trichurids (82.7% prevalence) including Trichuris spp. (82.1%) and Anatrichosoma spp. (1.4%), (2) strongyles (58.9%) including Trichostrongylus spp. (48.5%) and Oesophagostomum/Ternidens spp. (22.8%), (3) Strongyloides fuelleborni (32.7%), (4) Ascaris lumbricoides (8.6%), and (5) Enterobius spp. (5.5%). On average, an individual was co-infected with two different groups. Significant positive associations were found for co-infections of trichurids with strongyles and S. fuelleborni as well as S. fuelleborni with A. lumbricoides and strongyles. This study shows a high prevalence of various gastrointestinal helminths with potential transmission pathways primarily related to soil and with zoonotic relevance in wild proboscis monkeys in their remaining natural habitats. Observed positive associations of trichurids with strongyles and Strongyloides spp. may result from the high prevalence of trichurids. Similarly, positive associations between Strongyloides and Ascaris were found, both of which typically occur predominantly in juvenile hosts. These findings should be considered when proposing conservation actions in altered habitats nearby human settlements and when managing captive populations.

Parasite biodiversity faces extinction and redistribution in a changing climate.

Climate change is a well-documented driver of both wildlife extinction and disease emergence, but the negative impacts of climate change on parasite diversity are undocumented. We compiled the most comprehensive spatially explicit data set available for parasites, projected range shifts in a changing climate, and estimated extinction rates for eight major parasite clades. On the basis of 53,133 occurrences capturing the geographic ranges of 457 parasite species, conservative model projections suggest that 5 to 10% of these species are committed to extinction by 2070 from climate-driven habitat loss alone. We find no evidence that parasites with zoonotic potential have a significantly higher potential to gain range in a changing climate, but we do find that ectoparasites (especially ticks) fare disproportionately worse than endoparasites. Accounting for host-driven coextinctions, models predict that up to 30% of parasitic worms are committed to extinction, driven by a combination of direct and indirect pressures. Despite high local extinction rates, parasite richness could still increase by an order of magnitude in some places, because species successfully tracking climate change invade temperate ecosystems and replace native species with unpredictable ecological consequences.