Search results for "isäntäeläimet"
showing 10 items of 13 documents
Borrelia afzeliialters reproductive success in a rodent host
2018
The impact of a pathogen on the fitness and behaviour of its natural host depends upon the host–parasite relationship in a given set of environmental conditions. Here, we experimentally investigated the effects ofBorrelia afzelii,one of the aetiological agents of Lyme disease in humans, on the fitness of its natural rodent host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), in semi-natural conditions with two contrasting host population densities. Our results show thatB. afzeliican modify the reproductive success and spacing behaviour of its rodent host, whereas host survival was not affected. Infection impaired the breeding probability of large bank voles. Reproduction was hastened in infected females…
Negative associations between parasite avoidance, resistance and tolerance predict host health in salmonid fish populations
2020
Genetic variation in defence against parasite infections is fundamental for host–parasite evolution. The overall level of defence of a host individual or population includes mechanisms that reduce parasite exposure (avoidance), establishment (resistance) or pathogenicity (tolerance). However, how these traits operate and evolve in concert is not well understood. Here, we investigated genetic variation in and associations between avoidance, resistance and tolerance in a natural host–parasite system. Replicated populations of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) and sea trout (an anadromous form of brown trout, Salmo trutta ) were raised under common garden conditions and infected with the eye fl…
Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii inside the rodent host and the tick vector
2018
Multiple-strain pathogens often establish mixed infections inside the host that result in competition between strains. In vector-borne pathogens, the competitive ability of strains must be measured in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector to understand the outcome of competition. Such studies could reveal the existence of trade-offs in competitive ability between different host types. We used the tick-borne bacteriumBorrelia afzeliito test for competition between strains in the rodent host and the tick vector, and to test for a trade-off in competitive ability between these two host types. Mice were infected via tick bite with either one or two strains, and these mice were subse…
The effects of Borrelia infection on its wintering rodent host
2022
AbstractIn seasonal environments, appropriate adaptations are crucial for organisms to maximize their fitness. For instance, in many species, the immune function has been noticed to decrease during winter, which is assumed to be an adaptation to the season’s limited food availability. Consequences of an infection on the health and survival of the host organism could thus be more severe in winter than in summer. Here, we experimentally investigated the effect of a zoonotic, endemic pathogen, Borrelia afzelii infection on the survival and body condition in its host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), during late autumn–early winter under semi-natural field conditions in 11 large outdoor enclos…
Susceptibility to infection with Borrelia afzelii and TLR2 polymorphism in a wild reservoir host
2019
AbstractThe study of polymorphic immune genes in host populations is critical for understanding genetic variation in susceptibility to pathogens. Controlled infection experiments are necessary to separate variation in the probability of exposure from genetic variation in susceptibility to infection, but such experiments are rare for wild vertebrate reservoir hosts and their zoonotic pathogens. The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is an important reservoir host of Borrelia afzelii, a tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme disease. Bank vole populations are polymorphic for Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), an innate immune receptor that recognizes bacterial lipoproteins. To test whether the TLR2 polym…
Connection between temperature, larval production, virulence and geographical distribution of Rhipidocotyle parasites infecting the duck mussel, Anod…
2015
In this thesis, two bucephalid trematode parasites Rhipidocotyle campanula and R. fennica, which use the same first (Anodonta anatina) and second intermediate (Rutilus rutilus) host were studied. The aim was to investigate the effect of temperature on one of the key processes in the transmission of these parasites: 1) the emergence of cercarial larvae from A. anatina over short (1 h) and 2) long (throughout the annual cercarial shedding period, from May to October) time periods as well, as on 3) mussel survival and 4) the seasonal timing of cercarial release. In addition, the aim was to study how the cercarial shedding traits are linked to the 5) geographical occurrence and abundance of the…
Experimental ecology on the interaction between the Puumala hantavirus and its host, the bank vole
2006
Eva Kallio tutki väitöskirjatyössään ihmisissä myyräkuumetta aiheuttavan, Hantaviruksiin kuuluvan Puumala-viruksen ja sen isäntälajin metsämyyrän välistä vuorovaikutussuhdetta. Tutkimuksessa selvisi viruksen säilyvän infektiokykyisenä pitkään isännän ulkopuolellakin ja voivan tarttua myyrästä toiseen tai myyrästä ihmiseen ilman suoraa kontaktia. Kallio osoitti myös ensimmäisen kerran hantaviruksen olevan haitallinen isäntälajilleen.Kallion osoittaman Puumala-viruksen ja metsämyyrän välisen vuorovaikutussuhteen piirteet voivat osaltaan vaikuttaa ihmisten myyräkuume-epidemioiden ilmentymiseen. Uuden tiedon avulla pystytään myös yhä luotettavammin mallintamaan ja ennustamaan epidemioiden esiin…
Host Developmental Stage Effects on Parasite Resistance and Tolerance.
2022
Hosts can defend themselves against parasites either by preventing or limiting infections (resistance) or by limiting parasite-induced damage (tolerance). However, it remains underexplored how these defense types vary over host development with shifting patterns of resource allocation priorities. Here, we studied the role played by developmental stage in resistance and tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). This anadromous fish has distinct life stages related to living in freshwater and seawater. We experimentally exposed 1-year-old salmon, either at the freshwater stage or at the stage transitioning to the marine phase, to the trematode Diplostomum pseudospathaceum. Using 56 pedigree…
Droplet digital PCR as a tool for investigating dynamics of cryptic symbionts
2021
Abstract Interactions among symbiotic organisms and their hosts are major drivers of ecological and evolutionary processes. Monitoring the infection patterns among natural populations and identifying factors affecting these interactions are critical for understanding symbiont–host relationships. However, many of these interactions remain understudied since the knowledge about the symbiont species is lacking, which hinders the development of appropriate tools. In this study, we developed a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay based on apicomplexan COX1 gene to detect an undescribed agamococcidian symbiont. We show that the method gives precise and reproducible results and enables detecting cryp…