Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters
Parasites with complex life cycles are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Knowledge of current associations with weather and host–parasite interactions is therefore essential for the inference of future distributions. The Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra, is exposed to a range...
Published in: | International Journal for Parasitology |
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Online Access: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/49865/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 |
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ftunivcardiff:oai:https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk:49865 2023-05-15T17:35:53+02:00 Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna Cable, Joanne 2013-08 https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/49865/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 unknown Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A035397G.html, Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A066713R.html orcid:0000-0002-6662-6343 orcid:0000-0002-6662-6343 and Cable, Joanne https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A042952A.html orcid:0000-0002-8510-7055 orcid:0000-0002-8510-7055 2013. Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters. International Journal for Parasitology 43 (9) , pp. 729-737. 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftunivcardiff https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 2022-10-27T22:36:36Z Parasites with complex life cycles are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Knowledge of current associations with weather and host–parasite interactions is therefore essential for the inference of future distributions. The Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra, is exposed to a range of parasites due to its large home range and use of terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. As such, it can act as a sentinel species for generalist parasites. Here we consider two biliary parasites recently reported in the United Kingdom, Pseudamphistomum truncatum and Metorchis albidus (Trematoda, Opisthorchiidae), and ask whether there are associations between abiotic factors (season, temperature, rainfall and the North Atlantic Oscillation) and the prevalence and intensities of these parasites in otters (n = 586). To control for biotic interactions we first examined whether particular sub-groups of the otter population (grouped by sex, age-class and condition) are more prone to infection and whether any damage is associated with the presence of these parasites. Even though mean intensities of the smaller trematode, P. truncatum (28.3 worms/host), were much higher than M. albidus (4.1), both parasite species had similar impacts on the otter. The distributions of parasites on host sexes were similar, but males suffered greater damage and regardless of sex, parasite intensity increased in older hosts. The probability of infection with either parasite was negatively associated with ground frost, minimum temperatures and rainfall, but was positively associated with warm long-term average temperatures. Although it is widely accepted that multiple variables influence parasite distributions, to our knowledge this is one of only a few studies to examine the combined impact of biotic and abiotic variables on parasites with complex life cycles within their wild definitive host. Identifying such associations can give greater accuracy to predictions concerning the distribution and spread of trematodes with future climate ... Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Lutra lutra Cardiff University: ORCA (Online Research @ Cardiff) International Journal for Parasitology 43 9 729 737 |
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Open Polar |
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Cardiff University: ORCA (Online Research @ Cardiff) |
op_collection_id |
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GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology |
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GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna Cable, Joanne Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
topic_facet |
GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology |
description |
Parasites with complex life cycles are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Knowledge of current associations with weather and host–parasite interactions is therefore essential for the inference of future distributions. The Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra, is exposed to a range of parasites due to its large home range and use of terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. As such, it can act as a sentinel species for generalist parasites. Here we consider two biliary parasites recently reported in the United Kingdom, Pseudamphistomum truncatum and Metorchis albidus (Trematoda, Opisthorchiidae), and ask whether there are associations between abiotic factors (season, temperature, rainfall and the North Atlantic Oscillation) and the prevalence and intensities of these parasites in otters (n = 586). To control for biotic interactions we first examined whether particular sub-groups of the otter population (grouped by sex, age-class and condition) are more prone to infection and whether any damage is associated with the presence of these parasites. Even though mean intensities of the smaller trematode, P. truncatum (28.3 worms/host), were much higher than M. albidus (4.1), both parasite species had similar impacts on the otter. The distributions of parasites on host sexes were similar, but males suffered greater damage and regardless of sex, parasite intensity increased in older hosts. The probability of infection with either parasite was negatively associated with ground frost, minimum temperatures and rainfall, but was positively associated with warm long-term average temperatures. Although it is widely accepted that multiple variables influence parasite distributions, to our knowledge this is one of only a few studies to examine the combined impact of biotic and abiotic variables on parasites with complex life cycles within their wild definitive host. Identifying such associations can give greater accuracy to predictions concerning the distribution and spread of trematodes with future climate ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna Cable, Joanne |
author_facet |
Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna Cable, Joanne |
author_sort |
Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor |
title |
Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
title_short |
Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
title_full |
Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
title_fullStr |
Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
title_sort |
climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/49865/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Lutra lutra |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Lutra lutra |
op_relation |
Sherrard-Smith, Eleanor https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A035397G.html, Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A066713R.html orcid:0000-0002-6662-6343 orcid:0000-0002-6662-6343 and Cable, Joanne https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/view/cardiffauthors/A042952A.html orcid:0000-0002-8510-7055 orcid:0000-0002-8510-7055 2013. Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters. International Journal for Parasitology 43 (9) , pp. 729-737. 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006 |
container_title |
International Journal for Parasitology |
container_volume |
43 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
729 |
op_container_end_page |
737 |
_version_ |
1766135186563530752 |