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Parasite-mediated host behavioural modifications: Gyrodactylus turnbulli infected Trinidadian guppies increase contact rates with uninfected conspecifics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2017

Michael Reynolds Open the ORCID record for Michael Reynolds [Opens in a new window] ,
Elisavet A. Arapi  and
Jo Cable
Michael Reynolds*
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
Elisavet A. Arapi
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
Jo Cable
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Michael Reynolds, E-mail: reynoldsm4@cardiff.ac.uk
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Abstract

While group formation provides antipredatory defences, increases foraging efficiency and mating opportunities, it can be counterintuitive by promoting disease transmission amongst social hosts. Upon introduction of a pathogen, uninfected individuals often modify their social preferences to reduce infection risk. Infected hosts also exhibit behavioural changes, for example, removing themselves from a group to prevent an epidemic. Conversely, here we show how Trinidadian guppies infected with a directly transmitted ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus turnbulli, significantly increase their contact rates with uninfected conspecifics. As uninfected fish never perform this behaviour, this is suggestive of a parasite-mediated behavioural response of infected hosts, presumably to offload their parasites. In the early stages of infection, however, such behavioural modifications are ineffective in alleviating parasite burdens. Additionally, we show that fish exposed to G. turnbulli infections for a second time, spent less time associating than those exposed to parasites for the first time. We speculate that individuals build and retain an infection cue repertoire, enabling them to rapidly recognize and avoid infectious conspecifics. This study highlights the importance of considering host behavioural modifications when investigating disease transmission dynamics.

Keywords

GyrodactylusPoecilia reticulatasocialityinfectious diseasetransmission dynamicsbehavioural modification
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 145 , Issue 7 , June 2018 , pp. 920 - 926
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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