Gilbert, Michael A., Epidemiology and host -parasite interactions between Myxobolus cerebralis the causative agent of salmonid whirling disease and its oligochaete host Tubifex tubifex (2002). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 9441 ...

BACKGROUND: Animal and plant species can harbour microbes that provide them with protection against enemies. These beneficial microbes can be a significant component of host defence that complement or replaces a repertoire of immunity, but they can also be costly. Given their impact on host and parasite fitness, defensive microbes have the potential to influence host-parasite interactions on an evolutionary timescale. RESULTS: Using a phenotypic framework, we explore the evolutionary and coevolutionary dynamics of a host-parasite interaction in the presence of defensive microbes. We show that costs of host-defensive microbe systems are critical in determining whether a defensive microbe based system or an immune system provides better host protection investment. Partitioning the coevolutionary dynamics yields testable predictions. The density of defensive microbes influences the strength of selection resulting from host - defensive microbe - parasite coevolutionary interactions. We find that they lessen

This short article carefully formulate a simple SI model for a parasite-host interaction through the basic birth and death processes analysis. This model reveals and corrects an error in similar models studied recently by various authors. Complete mathematical investigation of this simple model shows that the host extinction dynamics can happen and the outcomes may depend on the initial conditions. We also present biological implications of our findings.

Temporal changes in the relative abundances of host-parasite populations can influence the magnitude of the effects of corresponding interspecific interactions. When parasite populations are at relatively low abundance, the negative effects on host populations may be insignificant, but when parasite abundance increases beyond critical thresholds, they can have population limiting effects on the host. Here, we used data from a 40‐yr demographic study on breeding Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) and avian brood parasitic Brown‐headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in the mid‐Atlantic United States to disentangle host-parasite interactions. The relative abundance for these two species has changed both locally and regionally over this time period with a reduction in host abundance coincident with an increase in the parasite population. We detected a fivefold increase in Brown‐headed Cowbird parasitism rates of Wood Thrushes over the 40‐yr time period leading to a reduction in Wood Thrush ...

Author Summary Coevolution between hosts and parasites is believed to be central to a number of biological phenomena, most notably the observed patterns of biodiversity and the origins of sexual reproduction. However, classical mathematical models of host-parasite coevolution account neither for the hosts use of bacterial symbionts for protection from parasites, nor for the potential and observed complexity of genetic interactions between the coevolving species. In this article we address both challenges by simulating a large number of models of host-symbiont-parasite coevolution based on randomly generated genotype interaction patterns. We demonstrate that the degree of

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wptabs style=ui-lightness mode=vertical type=accordion]. [wptabtitle]10. Adaptation in heterogeneous environments: insights from host-parasite systems. Nicolas Rode, Florence Débarre[/wptabtitle]. [wptabcontent]. Adaptation in heterogeneous environments: insights from host-parasite systems. Understanding how species adapt to heterogeneous environments is a major challenge of evolutionary biology. In host-parasite systems, antagonistic coevolution generates highly heterogeneous selective pressures, both in time and space.. Recently, much progress has been made to characterize the process of coevolution in natural (e.g., plant-pathogen, invited speaker ALL) and laboratory (e.g., phage-bacteria, invited speaker AH) populations, showing that the strong and changing selective pressures generated by antagonistic coevolution can play an important role in the dynamics and maintenance of genetic diversity.. Yet, several conceptual challenges and limitations remain. First, transfers of populations ...

Study Jackson: Host-Parasite Relationships flashcards from Andrew Kumar's class online, or in Brainscape's iPhone or Android app. ✓ Learn faster with spaced repetition.

The state of antileishmanial chemotherapy is strongly compromised by the emergence of drug-resistant Leishmania. The evolution of drug-resistant phenotypes has been linked to the parasites intrinsic genome instability, with frequent gene and chromosome amplifications causing fitness gains that are directly selected by environmental factors, including the presence of antileishmanial drugs. Thus, even though the unique eukaryotic biology of Leishmania and its dependence on parasite-specific virulence factors provide valid opportunities for chemotherapeutical intervention, all strategies that target the parasite in a direct fashion are likely prone to select for resistance. Here, we review the current state of antileishmanial chemotherapy and discuss the limitations of ongoing drug discovery efforts. We finally propose new strategies that target Leishmania viability indirectly via mechanisms of host-parasite interaction, including parasite-released ectokinases and host epigenetic regulation, which

Host-parasite interactions are often influenced by environmental factors through multiple mechanisms. For example, changes in host food resources may affect multiple host traits (e.g., body size, behavior, immunocompetence), which may increase or decrease infection levels and the impact of parasites on host fitness. We often lack an understanding of which traits are most important for parasite tra ...

Biogeography has renewed its concepts and methods following important recent advances in phylogenetics, macroecology, and geographic information systems. In parallel, the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions has attracted the interests of numerous studies dealing with life-history traits evolution, community ecology, and evolutionary epidemiology.

Biogeography has renewed its concepts and methods following important recent advances in phylogenetics, macroecology, and geographic information systems. In parallel, the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions has attracted the interests of numerous studies dealing with life-history traits evolution, community ecology, and evolutionary epidemiology.

Trypanosoma brucei, i.e. the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans and of nagana in cattle can undergo apoptosis in the mammalian bloodstream form (BSF) [20, 21] and the procyclic form within the midgut of the tsetse fly [22, 23]. In the mammalian bloodstream, parasitemia of T. brucei increases and decreases periodically and this is partially due to effective antibody-mediated immune responses of the host and antigenic variation of the major surface glycoprotein of the parasite. However, the cell density of T. brucei is also regulated in axenic cultures in the absence of any host-derived immune effectors. After reaching a cell density-dependent threshold, further expansion of the cell population is restricted by differentiation from the replicating long slender (LS) form to the non-dividing short stumpy (SS) form [24]. Subsequently, the parasite density even decreases and this is accompanied by the occurrence of morphological and biochemical markers for apoptosis [20]. Likewise, ...

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The spatial ecology of host-parasite communities. Parasite transmission occurs through contacts between susceptible individuals and the infective stages of parasites. Standard models of the epidemiological spread of infections typically assume random mixing of these contacts (the mass action assumption) typical of density-dependent transmission, which assumes contacts and transmission simply increase with the density of infected individuals in the total population (McCallum et al 2001; Begon et al 2002; Fenton et al 2002). In reality, however, these contacts are likely to show varying degrees of non-random structure, arising from the spatial arrangement of individuals, environmental heterogeneity and social or behavioural constraints that restrict individual movement.. Obviously, the mode of transmission of a parasite will affect its spatial dynamics of transmission. Many parasites transmit either via long-lived infective stages in the environment (e.g., many parasitic helminths) or via ...

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Anna Davies.. Tea and biscuits available from 12, talk will start at 12.15. Understanding the within-host dynamics of acute bacterial infections is vital for the development of optimised treatment and the management of drug resistance. A major hurdle has been the limited resolution of data that can be obtained during infection, especially when dealing with low numbers of bacteria. For the last 10 years, a multi-disciplinary research programme at the Department of Veterinary Medicine has developed a pioneering approach, combining wild-type isogenic tagged strains (WITS) of Salmonella enterica in mice with mathematical models, to quantitate the key processes that drive the early stages of infection. In this talk, I will present the latest analytical methods that our group has been exploring in order to improve statistical inference and, ultimately, help optimise experimental design. I will cover likelihood-based and likelihood-free ...

Investigations of how the global Cold War shaped national scientific and technological practices in fields from biomedicine to rocket science. The Cold War period saw a dramatic expansion of state-funded science and technology research. Government and military patronage shaped Cold War technoscientific practices, imposing methods that were project oriented, team based, and .

We have examined genetic variability in parasites in the context of ecological interactions with the host. Recent research on Echinococcus, Giardia and Cryptosporidium has been used to illustrate: (i) the problems that parasite variability and species recognition pose for understanding the complex and often controversial relationship between parasite and host occurrence; (ii) the need for accurate parasite characterization and the application of appropriate molecular techniques to studies on parasite transmission if fundamental questions about zoonotic relationships and risk factors are to be answered; (iii) our lack of understanding about within-host interactions between genetically heterogeneous parasites at the inter- and intraspecific levels, and the significance of such interactions with respect to evolutionary considerations and the clinical outcome of parasite infections. If advances in molecular biology and mathematical ecology are to be realized, we need to give serious consideration to ...

Author Summary Contrary to the traditional view that immunity in invertebrates is limited to innate mechanisms, recent studies have shown that these several species of protostome invertebrates express putative immune receptors that can be somatically diversified in a way resulting in an analogy with Immunoglobulins or T Cell Receptors of vertebrate species. Other studies have shown the existence of putative antigenic variant counterparts in their specific parasite, as would be expected in an

Bacteriophages are believed to be the most abundant lifeform on earth, with estimates ranging up to 1031 particles. These different particles contain huge amounts of genetic variability that is greater than any other group of organisms and arises from the ability of phages to horizontally transfer elements of their genomes. In order to replicate, phages bind to and infect their host organism before subverting the hosts transcription machinery. Unlike other host-parasite systems, phages have developed different levels of virulence, resulting in either the destruction of the host organism (lytic) or the incorporation of the phage genome into the host (lysogenic) as the primary forms of replication. It should also be noted that other minor types of phage replication can occur in which the phage can exist as plasmid DNA with the host or can be released from the host by budding rather than lysis.. Our group studies the complex host-parasite relationship between host and phage as well as the ...

The aim of the research is to understand the molecular and cellular immunological basis of host parasite interaction with particular emphasis on chronic helminth infections and more recently malaria. Read more ...... Head of the group ...

Our data provide a rare demonstration of the impact that circadian rhythms have on fitness. Specifically, we reveal that parasites forced out of synchrony with the hosts schedule paid substantial costs, as a single phase shift reduced both in-host replication and the production of transmission stages by around 50 per cent. These costs are likely to have broad implications for parasite survival and reproduction. Malaria parasites must optimize the trade-off between investment in replication for in-host survival and the production of gametocytes for between-host transmission. Parasites with low replication rates are vulnerable to clearance by the immune system, anti-malarial drugs and are poor competitors in genetically mixed infections [33-37]. For example, subtle differences in the replication rate of co-infecting strains can lead to substantial competitive suppression in mixed infections [33,38,39]. Replication rate is also a key factor in determining the production of transmission stages ...

While standard evolutionary algorithms employ a static, absolute fitness metric, co-evolutionary algorithms assess individuals by their performance relative to populations of opponents that are themselves evolving. Although this arrangement offers the possibility of avoiding long-standing difficulties such as premature convergence, it suffers from its own unique problems, cycling, over-focusing and disengagement.. Here, we introduce a novel technique for dealing with the third and least explored of these problems. Inspired by studies of natural host-parasite systems, we show that disengagement can be avoided by selecting for individuals that exhibit reduced levels of virulence, rather than maximum ability to defeat coevolutionary adversaries. Experiments in both simple and complex domains are used to explain how this counterintuitive approach may be used to improve the success of coevolutionary algorithms.. ...

There is a close relationship between hormones, cytokines, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters that modulate the host immune response by several effector mechanisms, inc..

Hosts exhibit a variety of defence mechanisms against parasites, including avoidance. Both host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics and the host mating system can alter the evolutionary trajectories of populations. Does the nature of host-parasite interactions and the host mating system affect the mechanisms that evolve to confer host defence? In a previous experimental evolution study, mixed mating and obligately outcrossing Caenorhabditis elegans host populations adapted to either coevolving or static Serratia marcescens parasite populations. Here, we assessed parasite avoidance as a mechanism underlying host adaptation. We measured host feeding preference for the coevolved and static parasites vs preference for Escherichia coli, to assess the evolution of avoidance behaviour within our experiment. We found that mixed mating host populations evolved a preference for E. coli relative to the static parasite strain; therefore, the hosts evolved parasite avoidance as a defence. However, mixed mating ...

Synopsis: Parasitology: An Integrated Approach, provides a concise, student-friendly account of parasites and parasite relationships that is supported by case studies and suggestions for student projects. The book focuses strongly on parasite interactions with other pathogens and in particular parasite-HIV interactions, as well as looking at how host behaviour contributes to the spread of infections. There is a consideration of the positive aspects of parasite infections, how humans have used parasites for their own advantage and also how parasite infections affect the welfare of captive and domestic animals. The emphasis of Parasitology is on recent research throughout and each chapter ends with a brief discussion of future developments. This text is not simply an updated version of typical parastitology books but takes an integrated approach and explains how the study of parasites requires an understanding of a wide range of other topics from molecular biology and immunology to the ...

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Invasion of erythrocytes has long been an attractive target for vaccines but is increasingly viewed as a potential druggable target. Invasion involves a sequence of events, including initial attachment, reorientation of the apical end of the parasite toward the host cell, formation of a tight junction, and then invasion with concomitant formation of the PV. This is orchestrated through a series of receptor-ligand interactions whose timing is determined by protein release and processing events in conjunction with signaling cascades (Gaur and Chitnis, 2011). For example, the Plasmodium homologue of calcineurin, a calcium-regulated protein phosphatase, has recently been shown to play a critical role in merozoite attachment and invasion by regulating specific merozoite-host cell binding interactions (Paul et al., 2015; Philip and Waters, 2015), as well as roles in other stages of parasite development (Philip and Waters, 2015). The earliest described host receptor for invasion is the Duffy antigen ...

In vivo infection routes of parasites have remained something of a black box, in which only snapshot views of fixed tissues are available. Clearly, there exists a strong need for imaging approaches to visualise living parasites within intact organs and animals. In vivo imaging of fluorescent Plasmodium parasites now provides us with exciting insights into the infection process, from the bite of the infected mosquito to the invasion of liver cells, and alternative approaches using luciferase-expressing parasites have been used to monitor their dissemination in mice. This rapidly developing field will go a long way towards deepening our understanding of host-parasite interactions at different levels.. Keywords: Host-Parasite Interactions. Note: Discussion p. 195-6. ...

The @JohnsHopkinsSPH Malaria Research Institute - founded in 2001 with a gift from @MikeBloomberg - is working in Baltimore and Macha, Zambia to lead innovations in understanding, preventing and controlling the disease. #WorldMalariaDay https://t.co/ETuQg4jxPE ...

After receiving my degree in Mathematics from the University of Trento (Italy) in 1994 (title of the M.Sc. thesis: Modelli di epidemia da macroparassiti) I was granted a fellowship in Mathematical Biology at the Centre for Alpine Ecology (Trento), ranked among the best 10 research institute in Italy. After that fellowship, I continued to work as research collaborator at the Centre for Alpine Ecology in the field of mathematical and statistical modelling applied to host-parasite interactions. Afterwards, thanks to the funded project ECODIS (Ecology and control of some zoonotic wildlife diseases) I obtained a PhD grant at the University of Stirling (Scotland, UK) where I received my PhD in Biology in 2003 defending the thesis The importance of aggregation in the dynamics of host-parasite interaction in wildlife: a mathematical approach. From 2003 to 2007 I worked as post-doc researcher at the Centre for Alpine Ecology as Principal Investigator of the project Modelling the spatio-temporal ...

PubMed comprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

download the biogeography stated while in the ambit of the experience, who administered the light by informer that she was achieved not in her R. An download the biogeography of had interests online with murder, and notes about was that Experts exception was done with attribution judge. The download had to dismiss the detainee as a justice availability.

Parasite species assemblages currently are thought to range from isolationist to interactive, their dynamic properties being related to the number of species and types of hosts involved. The literature contains few experimental tests of this concept, however, and many of the host/parasite systems studied to date are not amenable to experimental manipulation. In this review, the presence of a parasite species, in a sample of host individuals, is considered to be an evolutionary phenomenon, but the parasites population structure is considered to be an ecological one. Studies that allow evaluation of these two influences are comparative in nature and include data from a series of homogeneous samples of host populations. A lottery model is presented, in which hosts acquire their assemblages of parasites by Monte Carlo type sampling from multiple kind arrays; the major structuring influence is the relative probability of becoming infected by various parasite species. Claims of parasite species interaction

We present a simple unscaled, quantitative framework that addresses the optimum use of resources throughout a hosts lifetime based on continuous exposure to parasites (rather than evolutionary, genetically explicit trade-offs). The principal assumptions are that a hosts investment of resources in growth increases its survival and reproduction, and that increasing parasite burden reduces survival. The host reproductive value is maximised for a given combination of rates of parasite exposure, host resource acquisition and pathogenicity, which results in an optimum parasite burden (for the host). Generally, results indicate that the optimum resource allocation is to tolerate some parasite infection. The lower the resource acquisition, the lower the proportion of resources that should be devoted to immunity, i.e. the higher the optimum parasite burden. Increases in pathogenicity result in reduced optimum parasite burdens, whereas increases in exposure result in increasing optimum parasite burdens. ...

The edition is collected scientific papers contributed to IX International Symposium of Russian Society of Nematologists (27 June 1 July, 2011, Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russia). The papers cover issues of fundamental and applied nematology: ecology of populations, assessment of species diversity, nematode phylogenetics and taxonomy, estimation of nematode role in bioindication of transformation or contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, actual problems of monitoring, nematode pest management and study on host-parasite interactions ...

The genetic basis of infection determines the dynamics of host-parasite coevolution and associated phenomena such as local adaptation and the evolution of sex and recombination. Here, we present parasite resistance as a two-step process in which hosts must first detect parasites and then eradicate them; failure at either step results in infection. The model incorporates -matching-allele- (MA) genetics for detection and -gene-for-gene- (GFG) genetics for eradication. We found that the oscillatory dynamics were similar to pure GFG genetics when the cost of virulence alleles was low, but resembled pure MA genetics when the cost was high. The magnitude of the cost that switched the dynamics from GFG dominated to MA dominated depended on the genetic architecture of defence (i.e. the number of GFG and MA loci).. ...

The dialogue of host-parasite interactions, and of parasite virulence far more particularly, has thus far, using a couple exceptions, not focused A lot consideration on the accumulating proof that immune evasion by parasites is not only Pretty much common and also frequently associated with pathogenesis, i.e. the looks of virulence. Now, the immune evasion hypothesis provides a further Perception in the evolution of virulence than earlier hypotheses. Sensitivity Examination for parasite Health and life-historical past concept reveals guarantee to crank out a far more typical evolutionary theory of virulence by which includes A serious aspect, immune evasion to forestall parasite clearance from your host ...

WP1 (Host-parasite interactions) will advance the scientific knowledge base for WP2 to WP7, will develop and optimise in vivo and in vitro models, decipher the mechanisms by which parasites, hosts and intermediates interact in order to allow development of targeted therapy strategies, and elucidate poorly understood parasite life-cycles. Technologically, WP1 will cover transcriptomics and proteomics.. WP2 (Wild-farmed fish parasite transfer) will investigate reciprocal parasite transfers between wild and farmed fish. The objectives are to assess suspected transfers of key parasites, with respect to hosts and geographical areas, using epidemiological and molecular tools. WP2 will use next generation sequencing bioinformatics tools to identify the most reliable parasite gene markers for differentiation between wild and farmed parasite populations.. WP3 (Prophylactic measures) will develop prophylactic measures for prevention of disease that may be incorporated into an integrated pest management ...

Free Online Library: Real-Life Zombies: Parasites invaded these four animals and turned them into the living dead.(life science) by SuperScience; Science and technology, general Education Family and marriage Host-parasite relationships Physiological aspects

Parasite infections are caused by living organisms that have taken up residence in the host body. The organism can be single-celled multiplying inside of the host body. Others are multi-celled with the ability to live in or on the body. The most common method of entering the body is through the consumption of contaminated food or water. Other situations pass the infection by direct (physical) contact since viruses can live on objects such as doorknobs or in substances like soil, or blood. Insects and animals are also carriers of parasites. For example, one of the deadliest parasitic diseases in the world is transmitted by a mosquito in a single bite. ...

International journal that covers all branches of parasitology, including morphology, taxonomy, molecular biology, host-parasite relationships, parasite evolution, biochemistry, physiology and immunology. ...

International journal that covers all branches of parasitology, including morphology, taxonomy, molecular biology, host-parasite relationships, parasite evolution, biochemistry, physiology and immunology. ...

TY - JOUR. T1 - Linking the coevolutionary and population dynamics of host-parasitoid interactions. AU - Fellowes, M D E AU - Travis, J M J PY - 2000/8. Y1 - 2000/8. N2 - The interplay between coevolutionary and population or community dynamics is currently the focus of much empirical and theoretical consideration. Here, we develop a simulation model to study the coevolutionary and population dynamics of a hypothetical host-parasitoid interaction. In the model, host resistance and parasitoid virulence are allowed to coevolve. We investigate how trade-offs associated with these traits modify the systems coevolutionary and population dynamics. The most important influence on these dynamics comes from the incorporation of density-dependent costs of resistance ability. We find three main outcomes. First, if the costs of resistance are high, then one or both of the players go extinct. Second, when the costs of resistance are intermediate to low, cycling population and coevolutionary dynamics are ...

PubMed comprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

Plant infestation with parasitic weeds like Cuscuta reflexa induces morphological as well as biochemical changes in the host and the parasite. These modifications could be caused by a change in protein or gene activity. Using a comparative macroarray approach Cuscuta genes specifically upregulated at the host attachment site were identified. One of the infestation specific Cuscuta genes encodes a cysteine protease. The protein and its intrinsic inhibitory peptide were heterologously expressed, purified and biochemically characterized. The haustoria specific enzyme was named cuscutain in accordance with similar proteins from other plants, e.g. papaya. The role of cuscutain and its inhibitor during the host parasite interaction was studied by external application of an inhibitor suspension, which induced a significant reduction of successful infection events. The study provides new information about molecular events during the parasitic plant - host interaction. Inhibition of cuscutain cysteine proteinase

Root-knot nematodes are serious economic pathogens of horticultural and crop plants in sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world including Australia. The nematodes invade the roots and are able to induce the redifferentiation of root cells into multinucleate feeding cells called giant cells. These feeding cells form by repeated mitosis without cytokinesis and develop wall ingrowths typical of transfer cells.. It is clear that the pronounced morphological and physiological changes associated with the formation of these specialised feeding cells are caused by altered gene expression in host cells. For this reason, the study of molecular responses induced in host cells by the pathogen will not only provide new information to the host-parasite relationship but could provide better options for control strategies.. Differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) was used as a tool to study changes in gene expression during the compatible interaction between ...

Some parasites may modify the behavior of their hosts. Altered behaviors may: 1) benefit the host in that they defend against the pathogen, 2) benefit the pathogen and represent manipulations of the host response, and 3) benefit neither the host or the pathogen and simply be a product of the host response to infection. In this thesis I examine four host/parasite systems. For each system, I explore host/parasite behavioral interactions, and examine them with regard to selective pressures that may be acting on both the host and the parasite. I test the Hamilton and Zuk hypothese in 26 species of lizards. I find an inverse relationship between a lizard species brightness and parasite prevalence. My result lend credence to criticisms of the Hamilton and Zuk Hypothesis. If infection does occur, animals may alter their behavior to impair the growth and reproduction of the parasite. To test this prediction, I examine behavioral thermoregulation in two strains of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, one ...

Live Imaging of Host-Parasite Interactions in a Zebrafish Infection Model Reveals Cryptococcal Determinants of Virulence and Central Nervous System Invasion.

No one can doubt that disease played a major role in human history and still continues to impact human health. Also, many human diseases, such as HIV, Ebola and malaria, have been acquired from our close primate relatives. The potential transmission of infectious agents from monkeys and apes to humans is why the study of primate parasites is so significant. The present work, which is divided into several Parts, consists of 25 chapters authored by one or more of 62 contributors.. Part 1 deals with methods used in studying primate parasite interactions. It begins with a chapter on collecting and diagnosing primate parasites. This is followed with a chapter on extracting and identifying minute nematodes, mostly pin worms, recovered from fecal samples. The next chapter discusses the use of molecular methods for comparing populations of stomach worms (Oesophagostomum). This is followed by a discussion on the use of endocrinological analyses to interpret social relationships, anthropogenic ...

Parasite increased trophic transmission (PITT) is a mode of parasite transmission in which the parasite manipulates the behavior of its host to increase transmission success to higher trophic levels. Parasites that use PITT have complex life cycles, requiring more than one host species to procreate. Sexual reproduction is typically limited to a definitive host, high in the trophic levels. Parasite progeny sequentially infect one or more intermediate hosts, inside which they may undergo asexual reproduction and physiological changes. Trophic transmission often relies on predator-prey relationships, where the parasite can only be transmitted if the host is eaten by a later stage host. Parasitic manipulation of the intermediate host can involve adaptations that make it an easier prey for predators, thereby increasing the transmission rate of the parasite. For complex life cycles to emerge in parasites, the addition of intermediate host species must be beneficial, e.g., result in a higher fitness. ...

Imaging Infection and Immunity in vivo.. My research applies advanced imaging techniques to enhance our understanding of the basic biology of the immune system in real time, in vivo. Working with my long term collaborator Paul Garside, we have applied these approaches to understand how cellular interactions govern the magnitude and phenotype of developing immune responses. We apply these approaches to understanding the host parasite interaction in immunity to infection as well as the host immune response against self in autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. To enable this work, we have established state of the art, multiphoton microscopy at the University of Glasgow, which allows us to image on more channels, faster and deeper than previously possible. We collaborate with physicists, mathematicians and chemists to continue development of novel, non-invasive and translational cell-imaging approaches.. For an 11 minute video describing my research see my recent talk at TEDx ...

Trachipleistophora hominis was isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient and is a member of a highly successful group of obligate intracellular parasites. Here we have investigated the evolution of the parasite and the interplay between host and parasite gene expression using transcriptomics of T. hominis-infected rabbit kidney cells. T. hominis has about 30 % more genes than small-genome microsporidians. Highly expressed genes include those involved in growth, replication, defence against oxidative stress, and a large fraction of uncharacterised genes. Chaperones are also highly expressed and may buffer the deleterious effects of the large number of non-synonymous mutations observed in essential T. hominis genes. Host expression suggests a general cellular shutdown upon infection, but ATP, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar production appear enhanced, potentially providing the parasite with substrates it cannot make itself. Expression divergence of

Mark Armitage wrote: , , Dear All, , Does anyone have any references on parasites which alter intermediate , host behavior in order to increase chances of predation upon the , host? This is not very detailed, but I did hear that there was some type of parasite that would enter a pill bug (rolly polly), cause it to lose its adversion to light, and thusly increase the chances of it being comsumed by a bird. hope this helped a little, teresa ...

Parasitism is s form of symbiosis in which one organism (called parasite) benefits at the expense of another organism usually of different species (called host). This host-parasite association may eventuate to the injury of the host. Parasites can cause harm or disease to their host. They are generally much smaller than their hosts. Examples of parasites are tapeworms, flukes, lice, ticks, etc. Parasites may be classified into different categories. For instance, parasites may be macroparasites or microparasites based on their size. Macroparasites are those that are bigger in size and visible to an unaided eye. Microparasites are those that are small and can be detected through microscopy. Parasites may also be obligate or facultative depending on their interaction with their hosts. Obligate parasites are those that require a host to complete their life cycle. Facultative parasites are those that do not depend on a host to complete its life cycle. Certain parasites require only one host and they ...

My research interests are in the broad area of parasite ecology. Ecology is the study of interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment. A parasites lives on, or in, a living host during some part of its life. A host, therefore, is both another organism and the parasites environment. Consequently, there are many fascinating ecological questions to be addressed surrounding host-parasite relationships. Both hosts and parasites vary widely in their biological characteristics. Some parasites have complex life cycles involving multiple hosts while others have direct life cycles. In any case, one of the main challenges to success as a parasite is successful transmission of offspring into new hosts. I am interested in how various aspects of host and parasite biology, as well as environmental factors, interact to structure parasite assemblages in host individuals, populations, and communities. This has led me to work with communities of larval trematodes in freshwater snails and ...

Parasitology links of interest to Centre members have been compiled in the following pages. Presently there are 2 main pages; Parasite genomes and Parasitology web sites. If you would like to contribute a link to any of these pages please forward the link by email Christiane Trudeau

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Cytoadherence and the resulting sequestration of infected red blood cells are a hallmark of P. falciparum malaria. Previous studies have emphasized the major co...

Our laboratory studies functional genomics of the human malaria parasite across the lifecycle, including the mosquito, liver and blood stages of infection. The laboratory has particular interest in protein trafficking, glycosylation,and parasite-host interactions during liver infection. The laboratory is developing antimalarials against host and parasite targets and pursuing pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccination. The laboratory is actively collaborating with Merck & Co. and the Wellcome Trust to develop a new class of antimalarials ...

Citation: Kutz, S.J., Hoberg, E.P., Polley, L., Jenkins, E.J. 2005. Global warming is changing the dynamics of arctic host-parasite systems. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 272:2571-2576. Interpretive Summary: Climate change has the potential to cause sweeping changes in the distribution of parasites and their hosts by altering abiotic conditions and dissolving ecological barriers. However, Determining how long-term climatic changes will affect the distributions of different parasites and pathogens at first seems a daunting task that almost defies quantification29. The U. pallikuukensis model has allowed us to identify and quantify the effects of climate warming on rates of development for critical life history stages in a pathogenic parasite. Additionally, it has indicated critical thresholds of warming (i.e., 1C) where transmission rates are likely to shift in a non-linear manner. Such models and their empirical foundations serve as powerful baselines8;10;30 that will allow ...

Research in my lab centers on organismal-level biology of invertebrates, involving ecology, behavior and evolution. Many of the projects have dealt with predator/prey or parasite/host interactions involving mites feeding on insects. These projects include searching behavior, the use of chemical cues in host or prey location, and the impact of mites on their insect prey/hosts. Potentials for research on reproductive behavior include studying mate-seeking and mate-selection behavior, and chemical communication among mites. Summer-based research can involve studies on host-parasite interactions in naturally-occurring populations (i.e., field studies), most academic year studies are laboratory based. However, if you are interested in field-oriented ecological research, I can suggest projects involving aquatic invertebrates. Please look at my web page for additional information about research in my lab ...

Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic meals borne parasite that may infect nearly all warm-blooded animals together with individuals, and ranks 4th amongst 24 most vital international mealsborne parasites listed by the World Health Organization/United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO/WHO, 2014). Exposure to T. gondii has been reported in wildlife and individuals in the Canadian North, regardless of low densities of feline definitive hosts. The ecology of this host-parasite system could … Read more. ...

Dispersal is key to many evolutionary processes. Host-parasite systems are unique in that the host often represents the parasites habitat, as well as its transportation. The interaction can be combative, and so specialisation is often extreme in parasitic species. Arguably one of the most impressive examples of parasitic adaptation is a terrestrial parasite that exploits a marine host. Penguins disperse by swimming but are bitten by terrestrial ectoparasites when they come ashore to breed. The most common of these is the tick (Ixodes spp.).

Some disease-causing parasites are known to favor one sex over the other in their host species, and such differences between the sexes have generally been attributed to differences in immune responses or behavior. But in a new article, published February 28 in the magazine section of the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology, David Duneau from Cornell University and Dieter Ebert from the University of Basel now propose that all sorts of characteristics that differ between the sexes of the host species can influence a parasites adaptation.. These characteristics, such as morphology, physiology, behavior, diet and life history traits can, in fact, pose very different challenges and opportunities to the parasites, and may result in the parasite adapting more to one host sex than the other. Sex-specific adaptations in parasites may also occur when parasites routinely encounter one host sex more frequently than another. Parasites that adapt to male or female hosts may help explain why we find ...

TY - JOUR. T1 - Does elevated testosterone result in increased exposure and transmission of parasites?. AU - Grear, Daniel A.. AU - Perkins, Sarah E.. AU - Hudson, Peter J.. PY - 2009/6/1. Y1 - 2009/6/1. N2 - Male-biased infection is a common phenomenon in vertebrate-parasite systems and male-biased transmission has been experimentally demonstrated. One mechanism that is hypothesized to create male-biased transmission is the immuno-suppressive effect of testosterone because it increases susceptibility to infection. Testosterone also influences host behaviour and, consequently, may increase exposure to parasites. To test how testosterone could increase exposure and transmission, we undertook a longitudinal mark-recapture study where we experimentally elevated testosterone levels in wild male rodents. Individuals in control populations reduced the average number of contacts over the treatment period, while populations with experimentally elevated testosterone levels maintained the number of ...

Male-biased infection is a common phenomenon in vertebrate-parasite systems and male-biased transmission has been experimentally demonstrated. One mechanism that is hypothesized to create male-biased transmission is the immuno-suppressive effect of testosterone because it increases susceptibility to infection. Testosterone also influences host behaviour and, consequently, may increase exposure to parasites. To test how testosterone could increase exposure and transmission, we undertook a longitudinal mark-recapture study where we experimentally elevated testosterone levels in wild male rodents. Individuals in control populations reduced the average number of contacts over the treatment period, while populations with experimentally elevated testosterone levels maintained the number of contacts between hosts. As a result, the transmission potential was higher in testosterone treated populations compared to controls. Our results indicated that males with high-testosterone levels alter the ...

Free Online Library: Study of intestinal parasite of stray dog in Lorestan province of Iran.(Report) by Advances in Environmental Biology; Environmental issues Dogs Health aspects Feral dogs Host-parasite relationships Statistics Prevalence studies (Epidemiology)

Detritivore - feed on dead matter so dont directly affect populations of resources. The ability to perceive predation risk is widespread in the animal world and has a strong effect on the behavior and habitat selection, as well as on the demography, of prey organisms - these responses have been strongly selected over the evolutionary history of the c-r interaction.. Defense mechanisms of prey can affect population growth.. It is believed that many mutualistic relationships have evolved from host-parasite interactions and perhaps vice versa.. Virulence is the measure of the capacity of a parasite to invade host tissues and may be reduced by actions of the hosts immune system (e.g. inflammation responses and production of antibodies). Cross-Resistance - when a host is able to resist a new parasite that is closely related to another parasite that a host has built antibodies for in the past.. Plants often develop mechanisms to discourage their consumption - low nutrition in their tissues or ...

Australian researchers are working on a technique that will allow them to starve to death parasites which are proving increasingly difficult to destroy using existing drugs.. The parasite they used in the study was Leishmania, which is transmitted by the bite of the Phlebotominae sandfly. After a period of incubation, the parasite causes huge skin sores, fever, anaemia and damages the spleen and liver.. It affects 12 million people worldwide and has become more resistant to current drugs.. The scientists exposed the parasite to a large variety of food sources. Using highly sensitive equipment, they tracked how these nutrients were broken down and absorbed into the bodies of the parasites.. Using this technique we found that Leishmaniaparasites are very dependent on the use of sugars for energy and growth. This was surprising as previous studies suggested that these parasites may be able to use a range of other nutrients for growth (such as amino acids and fats), says lead author Dr Malcolm ...

Mixed infections with more than one genus of blood parasite were rare and most infections encountered were of low intensity. The results of this study suggest an important role of ecologically diverse conditions determining composition, transmission, and prevalence of a blood parasite fauna, presumably through host interaction population density. Some new host parasite relationship records are presented ...

Artemesia & Clove™ is used as a broad spectrum herbal for parasites. It is carefully buffered for long term use with sensitive digestive tracts, while still maintaining its strength of action.. During 4 years of stool testing every patient for parasites at either Dowell Labs or the Institute of Parasitic Diseases 99.9% of all people had at least one and as many as five different parasites, fungi or yeast infections.. What are parasites?. A parasite is an organism that lives off a host. Parasites enter our body and continue to feed off our energy, our cells and the food we eat. There are two categories of parasites; large and microscopic. The large parasites are worms which are easy to see. The small parasites cannot be seen without a microscope. Small parasites can spread throughout the body in the bloodstream, while the large parasites usually are contained to the gastrointestinal tract. Both types of parasites rapidly reproduce.. What are longterm effects of untreated parasites?. Bloated ...

Co-requisite: BIO 424.. Microscopic study of the structure and function of cells and tissues and their integration into organs. Three hours of lecture per week.. BIO 424 Histology Laboratory (1).. Co-requisite: BIO 422.. Microscopic study of the structure and function of cells and tissues and their integration into organs. Three hours of laboratory per week.. BIO 425 Medical Bacteriology (2).. Prerequisites: BIO 324, BIO 325, CHE 310, CHE 311 or CHE 316, CHE 317. Co-requisite: BIO 435.. Characteristics of bacterial agents in human disease emphasizing host-parasite relationships, epidemiology and infection control. Two hours of lecture per week.. BIO 426 Immunology (3).. Prerequisites: BIO 320 or BIO 340; BIO 342 is recommended. Co-requisite: BIO 436.. Principles of immunology. Emphasis on the cellular and molecular nature of antigens and immunoglobulins; immunobiology; laboratory immunoassays. Three hours of lecture per week.. BIO 428 Virology (3).. Prerequisites: BIO 324, BIO 325 and CHE 310, ...

Host-Parasite Evoution The Balenger Lab at the University of Mississippi is seeking a PhD student to join our research group beginning Fall 2018. The student would develop an independent research focus in line with ongoing lab projects. Curren...

Paul Kaye is Professor of Immunology at the University of York. He has worked for over 30 years on the immunology and immunopathology of the neglected tropical disease leishmaniasis. He is internationally recognized for his research on macrophages and dendritic cells, contributing to a fundamental understanding of their biology in health and disease, and for his work on lymphoid tissue remodeling and granulomatous inflammation during chronic infection. Paul is a Welcome Trust Senior Investigator and an elected Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. His research tackles leishmaniasis from a holistic viewpoint, rooted in the immunology of the host-parasite interaction, but employing tools and approaches spanning mathematics, ecology, vector biology and neuroscience. He is currently leading a Phase II therapeutic vaccine trial in Sudan and developing a digital pathology platform to facilitate a greater understanding of disease pathogenesis through data sharing and collaboration across ...

Utility of Potent Anti-viral MicroRNAs in Emerging Infectious Diseases. By Zhabiz Golkar, Donald G. Pace and Omar Bagasra. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that have emerged as important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. miRNA provides intracellular immune defense when the body is faced with challenges from transgenes, viruses, transposons, and aberrant mRNAs. miRNA molecules trigger gene silencing in eukaryotic cells. To date, more than 3,000 different human miRNAs (hsa-miRs) have been identified, and it is generally agreed that cellular gene regulation is significantly impacted by the presence of miRNAs. A single miRNA has the complex capacity to target multiple genes simultaneously. In a viral infection context, miRNAs have been connected with the interplay between host and pathogen, and occupy a major role in the host-parasite interaction and pathogenesis. While numerous viral miRNAs from DNA viruses have been identified, characterization of functional ...

Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Host-Parasite Interaction, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. Phone: 81-3-5449-5730. Fax: 81-3-5449-5449. E-mail: iba{at}ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp ...

social parasite definition - a parasite that benefits from the hosts usual behaviour, e.g. a cuckoo, which lays its eggs in the nest of another bird who then brings up the cuckoos ...

Women who are infected with a common parasite may be more likely to hurt themselves or attempt suicide, a new study of over 45,000 new moms in Denmark suggests.

Biotic stressors could be pathogenic, parasitic, or predatory in nature and originate from living organisms. Both pathogenic and parasitic stressors have effect on the health of the entity hosting the pathogen/parasite. This effect starts at a molecular level, with the host radiating into a whole ecosystem level - especially if the host is a keystone species. For most pathogens, there is a positive relationship between the dose (the quantity of pathogens) and the response (reaction from the host) such that the occurrence and severity of the stressor (effect of the pathogens) on the host are proportional to the number of pathogens to which a host organism is exposed to. The above relationship holds true for parasite-host relationship. The commonality between pathogen and parasite relationships with their host is that in both situations the response could be observed at molecular, cellular, organ, and whole-organism level. Predation in an ecosystem is somewhat similar to the above description ...

There are over 1000 different species of parasites that can invade the bodies of our pets where they can cause pain, discomfort, disease and sometimes even death. What is a parasite you may ask? The dictionary states that a parasite is a plant or animal that lives in or on another plant or animal at the expense of that host. We most commonly think of parasites as worms, and there are many kinds, but parasites may also include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, which are single celled organisms. The list of parasites also include lice, ticks, fleas, and even insects. Parasites can invade every part of the bodies of our pets, including every organ, the muscles, the intestinal tract, and even the brain. Many parasites consume the food in the digestive tract that was intended for the pet, which leaves the scraps for the pet. Obviously this can cause a serious nutritional deficiency in the animal in some cases and a drain on the bodies of all infested pets. Some of the symptoms of parasite ...

Epidemics publishes papers on infectious disease dynamics in the broadest sense. Its scope covers both within-host dynamics of infectious agents and...

08 August 2005. Pandemic Hx and Progression of H5N1. Mankind has a long history of pandemics. The CDC and WHO have even defined the stages of pandemic development. Stages 1 through 3 are pre-human-to-human transmission stages and don t matter for our discussion. Stage 4: Small cluster(s) with limited human-to-human transmission but spread is highly localized, suggesting that the virus is not well adapted to humans. Stage 5: Larger cluster(s) but human-to-human spread still localized, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk). Stage 6: Pandemic: Increased and sustained transmission in general population.. It is obvious that H5N1 is at least into Stage 4. Due to the Chinese attempts to cover up the spread of this disease, we are not sure if it has passed into Stage 5. However, the spread to other countries is continuing and some official opinions have been mentioning Stage 6 ...

HIV; AIDS; Modelling; Evolution; Within-host dynamics; Applications to game theory and mathematical economics; Computational biology; Infection course; ...

Malaria remains a major cause of mortality in the world, especially in Africa. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

There are various products for anti-parasite treatment for dogs to keep ticks, fleas or lice off your dog. Can be used as a preventive measure or in cases of actual infestation.TRIXIE has been focussing on pets for over 40 years, with now 6,500 products on offer and lots of ideas and information on your pet.