Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads

Stine Vestbo; Claus Hindberg; Mark R. Forbes; Mark L. Mallory; Flemming Merkel; Rolanda J. Steenweg; Peter Funch; H. Grant Gilchrist; Gregory J. Robertson; Jennifer F. Provencher

doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004

Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads

Stine Vestbo^*, Claus Hindberg, Mark R. Forbes, Mark L. Mallory, Flemming Merkel, Rolanda J. Steenweg, Peter Funch, H. Grant Gilchrist, Gregory J. Robertson, Jennifer F. Provencher

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In birds, parasites cause detrimental effects to the individual host, including reduced survival and reproductive output. The level of parasitic infection can vary with a range of factors, including migratory status, body size, sex, and age of hosts, or season. Understanding this baseline variation is important in order to identify the effects of external changes such as climate change on the parasitic load and potential impacts to individuals and populations. In this study, we compared the infection level (prevalence, intensity, and abundance) of gastrointestinal parasites in a total of 457 common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from four different sampling locations (Belcher Islands, Cape Dorset, West Greenland and Newfoundland), and explored the effects of migration, sex and age on levels of parasitism. Across all samples, eiders were infected with one nematode genus, two acanthocephalan genera, three genera of cestodes, and three trematode genera. Migratory phase and status alone did not explain the observed variation in infection levels; the expectation that post-migratory eiders would be more parasitized than pre-migratory eiders, due to the energetic cost of migration, did not fit our results. No effect of age was detected, whereas effects of sex and body size were only detected for certain parasitic taxa and was inconsistent with location. Since gastrointestinal helminths are trophically-transmitted, future studies of the regional and temporal variation in the diet of eiders and the associated variation and infestation level of intermediate hosts might further explain the observed variation of the parasitic load in eiders in different regions.

Original language	English
Journal	International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife
Volume	9
Pages (from-to)	184-194
Number of pages	11
ISSN	2213-2244
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004
Publication status	Published - Aug 2019

Keywords

Arctic parasitology
Body size
Gastrointestinal parasites
Migration
Seabird

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10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004

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Vestbo, S., Hindberg, C., Forbes, M. R., Mallory, M. L., Merkel, F., Steenweg, R. J., Funch, P., Gilchrist, H. G., Robertson, G. J., & Provencher, J. F. (2019). Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 9, 184-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004

@article{d92663a5b71448eeb31bfb2cd7b7a802,

title = "Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads",

abstract = "In birds, parasites cause detrimental effects to the individual host, including reduced survival and reproductive output. The level of parasitic infection can vary with a range of factors, including migratory status, body size, sex, and age of hosts, or season. Understanding this baseline variation is important in order to identify the effects of external changes such as climate change on the parasitic load and potential impacts to individuals and populations. In this study, we compared the infection level (prevalence, intensity, and abundance) of gastrointestinal parasites in a total of 457 common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from four different sampling locations (Belcher Islands, Cape Dorset, West Greenland and Newfoundland), and explored the effects of migration, sex and age on levels of parasitism. Across all samples, eiders were infected with one nematode genus, two acanthocephalan genera, three genera of cestodes, and three trematode genera. Migratory phase and status alone did not explain the observed variation in infection levels; the expectation that post-migratory eiders would be more parasitized than pre-migratory eiders, due to the energetic cost of migration, did not fit our results. No effect of age was detected, whereas effects of sex and body size were only detected for certain parasitic taxa and was inconsistent with location. Since gastrointestinal helminths are trophically-transmitted, future studies of the regional and temporal variation in the diet of eiders and the associated variation and infestation level of intermediate hosts might further explain the observed variation of the parasitic load in eiders in different regions.",

keywords = "Arctic parasitology, Body size, Gastrointestinal parasites, Migration, Seabird",

author = "Stine Vestbo and Claus Hindberg and Forbes, {Mark R.} and Mallory, {Mark L.} and Flemming Merkel and Steenweg, {Rolanda J.} and Peter Funch and Gilchrist, {H. Grant} and Robertson, {Gregory J.} and Provencher, {Jennifer F.}",

year = "2019",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "184--194",

journal = "International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife",

issn = "2213-2244",

publisher = "Australian Society for Parasitology",

}

Vestbo, S, Hindberg, C, Forbes, MR, Mallory, ML, Merkel, F, Steenweg, RJ, Funch, P, Gilchrist, HG, Robertson, GJ & Provencher, JF 2019, 'Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads', International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, vol. 9, pp. 184-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004

Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads. / Vestbo, Stine; Hindberg, Claus; Forbes, Mark R. et al.
In: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, Vol. 9, 08.2019, p. 184-194.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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T1 - Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima)

T2 - Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads

AU - Vestbo, Stine

AU - Hindberg, Claus

AU - Forbes, Mark R.

AU - Mallory, Mark L.

AU - Merkel, Flemming

AU - Steenweg, Rolanda J.

AU - Funch, Peter

AU - Gilchrist, H. Grant

AU - Robertson, Gregory J.

AU - Provencher, Jennifer F.

PY - 2019/8

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N2 - In birds, parasites cause detrimental effects to the individual host, including reduced survival and reproductive output. The level of parasitic infection can vary with a range of factors, including migratory status, body size, sex, and age of hosts, or season. Understanding this baseline variation is important in order to identify the effects of external changes such as climate change on the parasitic load and potential impacts to individuals and populations. In this study, we compared the infection level (prevalence, intensity, and abundance) of gastrointestinal parasites in a total of 457 common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from four different sampling locations (Belcher Islands, Cape Dorset, West Greenland and Newfoundland), and explored the effects of migration, sex and age on levels of parasitism. Across all samples, eiders were infected with one nematode genus, two acanthocephalan genera, three genera of cestodes, and three trematode genera. Migratory phase and status alone did not explain the observed variation in infection levels; the expectation that post-migratory eiders would be more parasitized than pre-migratory eiders, due to the energetic cost of migration, did not fit our results. No effect of age was detected, whereas effects of sex and body size were only detected for certain parasitic taxa and was inconsistent with location. Since gastrointestinal helminths are trophically-transmitted, future studies of the regional and temporal variation in the diet of eiders and the associated variation and infestation level of intermediate hosts might further explain the observed variation of the parasitic load in eiders in different regions.

AB - In birds, parasites cause detrimental effects to the individual host, including reduced survival and reproductive output. The level of parasitic infection can vary with a range of factors, including migratory status, body size, sex, and age of hosts, or season. Understanding this baseline variation is important in order to identify the effects of external changes such as climate change on the parasitic load and potential impacts to individuals and populations. In this study, we compared the infection level (prevalence, intensity, and abundance) of gastrointestinal parasites in a total of 457 common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from four different sampling locations (Belcher Islands, Cape Dorset, West Greenland and Newfoundland), and explored the effects of migration, sex and age on levels of parasitism. Across all samples, eiders were infected with one nematode genus, two acanthocephalan genera, three genera of cestodes, and three trematode genera. Migratory phase and status alone did not explain the observed variation in infection levels; the expectation that post-migratory eiders would be more parasitized than pre-migratory eiders, due to the energetic cost of migration, did not fit our results. No effect of age was detected, whereas effects of sex and body size were only detected for certain parasitic taxa and was inconsistent with location. Since gastrointestinal helminths are trophically-transmitted, future studies of the regional and temporal variation in the diet of eiders and the associated variation and infestation level of intermediate hosts might further explain the observed variation of the parasitic load in eiders in different regions.

KW - Arctic parasitology

KW - Body size

KW - Gastrointestinal parasites

KW - Migration

KW - Seabird

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DO - 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.004

M3 - Journal article

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AN - SCOPUS:85066153570

SN - 2213-2244

VL - 9

SP - 184

EP - 194

JO - International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife

JF - International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife

ER -

Helminths in common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Sex, age, and migration have differential effects on parasite loads

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Keywords

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