Meta-analysis of seasonal dynamics of parasite infections in aquatic ecosystems.

Meta-analysis of seasonal dynamics of parasite infections in aquatic ecosystems. Int J Parasitol. 2020 May 04;: Authors: Poulin R Abstract Seasonal infection dynamics characterize many host-parasite interactions, as abiotic conditions drive fundamental biological processes in both hosts and parasites. The extent to which seasonal cycles in parasite abundance are universal, and whether the same underlying mechanisms are responsible for seasonality across different host-parasite associations, have received little attention to date. Here, global patterns of seasonal infection dynamics are tested using a meta-analysis of 693 seasonal contrasts in the local abundance of metazoan parasites on aquatic vertebrates, representing 343 parasite species and 148 host species. These include both contrasts between winter and summer in temperate systems, and between wet and dry seasons in tropical systems. Overall, the analysis found no evidence that seasonal infection dynamics are universal, nor that they are controlled by the same factors. More specifically, the results indicate no overall effect of the magnitude of local seasonal differences in abiotic conditions (temperature or precipitation), type of host (amphibian or fish), habitat (freshwater, coastal marine or deep-sea), host body length, or mode of transmission (skin contact or trophic) on the extent of seasonal differences in parasite infections. Instead, the results revealed many clear ta...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: research