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Impact of host sex and group composition on parasite dynamics in experimental populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2016

C. P. TADIRI ,
M. E. SCOTT  and
G. F. FUSSMANN
C. P. TADIRI*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
M. E. SCOTT
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University (Macdonald Campus), 21,111 Lakeshore Drive, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
G. F. FUSSMANN
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
*
* Corresponding author. McGill University Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield, Room W3/2, Montréal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada. E-mail: christina.tadiri@mail.mcgill.ca
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Summary

To better understand the spread of disease in nature, it is fundamentally important to have broadly applicable model systems with readily available species which can be replicated and controlled in the laboratory. Here we used an experimental model system of fish hosts and monogenean parasites to determine whether host sex, group size and group composition (single-sex or mixed-sex) influenced host-parasite dynamics at an individual and group level. Parasite populations reached higher densities and persisted longer in groups of fish compared with isolated hosts and reached higher densities on isolated females than on isolated males. However, individual fish within groups had similar burdens to isolated males regardless of sex, indicating that females may benefit more than males by being in a group. Relative condition was positively associated with high parasite loads for isolated males, but not for isolated females or grouped fish. No difference in parasite dynamics between mixed-sex groups and single-sex groups was detected. Overall, these findings suggest that while host sex influences dynamics on isolated fish, individual fish in groups have similar parasite burdens, regardless of sex. We believe our experimental results contribute to a mechanistic understanding of host-parasite dynamics, although we are cautious about directly extrapolating these results to other systems.

Keywords

Epidemic dynamicshost-parasite dynamicsguppiesGyrodactylus
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 143 , Issue 4 , April 2016 , pp. 523 - 531
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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