Host ecology and variation in helminth community structure in Mastomys rodents from Senegal

Abstract

We studied patterns of variation in parasite communities of 2 closely related species of Mastomys rodents. These 2 species live in sympatry in South-eastern Senegal, but differ drastically in their habitat choice. We asked (a) whether the host species have the same parasites; (b) whether there is any observable pattern relative to the host species/habitat type in the structure of parasite communities; (c) whether the variability in parasite community for each host species is related to habitat characteristics. We analysed 220 and 264 individuals of each host species, sampled respectively in 10 and 11 trap sites. Twenty parasite taxa were recorded, and the majority were nematodes. Between-host species comparisons showed that helminth communities were slightly more diversified in M. natalensis. Many parasite species were found in both Mastomys. However, various helminth taxa varied in frequency and abundance between host species. Within each host species, helminth diversity, prevalence and/or abundance of some parasites were correlated with habitat or host population factors that may influence parasite life-cycles, such as village structure, or the presence/absence of a pool. Our results suggest that habitat characteristics have a strong impact on helminth community structure.

Endoparasites of the Spiny Mouse (Acomys spinosissimus) from South Africa

“…The species richness and prevalence of endoparasites observed in the current study was extremely low compared to that reported for other rodent hosts (Behnke et al, 1999;AbuMadi et al, 2000;Eira et al, 2006;Brouat et al, 2007;Froeschke et al, 2010). This may be linked to the aridity of the habitat that the study species exploits (annual mean: 400 mm) as it has been suggested that survival of free-living helminth stages is greatly reduced in such habitats due to desiccation (Eira et al, 2006;Froeschke et al, 2010).…”

“…Alternatively, but not mutually exclusive, a greater proportion of juvenile individuals during the wet breeding season may explain the observed reduction of S. minuta burdens as a number of studies have reported an age-related accumulation of Syphacia sp. (Behnke et al, 1999;Eira et al, 2006;Brouat et al, 2007). Although we did not sample juveniles in our study, individuals of the youngest age class were almost exclusively observed during the wet season (Medger et al, 2010).…”

Structure in parasite component communities in wild rodents: predictability, stability, associations and interactions .... or pure randomness?

“…At least one of these, the positive relationship between H. polygyrus and the species richness of other helminths in wood mice, has been demonstrated in three totally independent data-sets, two drawn from the UK and one from Portugal. The challenge now is to determine whether similar relationships exist for other heligmosomatids infecting other rodents in Europe where the helminth communities are generally depauperate and among host-parasite combinations in more distant parts of the world where helminth communities may be richer (Brouat et al 2007 but see also Behnke et al 2004). Nevertheless, whilst such relationships have already been shown to be repeatable, collectively they explain only a small percentage (usually less than 10 %) of the variance/deviance in abundance data.…”

Description of a new species ofHeligmoninaBaylis, 1928 (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae) a parasite ofMastomys natalensis(Rodentia: Muridae) from Swaziland and new data on the synlophe ofHeligmonina chabaudi(Desset, 1966)

“…Species such as M. natalensis are commensal and regularly invade human habitation whilst others are restricted to the grasslands, fields and the bush (Duplantier & Granjon, 1988;Brouat et al, 2007). Mastomys is one of the genera comprising the Praomys group of murine rodents, but their exact relationships to other genera natalensis (Smith, 1834), two species of Heligmonina have been described: H. chabaudi (Desset, 1964) and H. kotoensis Diouf et al, 2005, the latter being a coparasite with Neoheligmonella lamaensis Diouf et al, 2005.…”

“…Whilst rodents of the genus Mastomys are known to carry a number of important bacterial and viral diseases that are transmissible to humans (Leirs, 1994), and some of their metazoan parasites have been reported (Ugbomoiko & Obiamiwe, 1991), including new species (Diouf et al, 1998(Diouf et al, , 2005, their helminth communities have only recently attracted attention (Brouat et al, 2007). Such studies are dependent on the accurate identification of the helminths infecting hosts, and in the case of Mastomys spp.…”