Disease Ecology

Natural Enemy

Consumer that reduces fitness of victim

Micropredator

Feeds on, but not necessarily killing, more than 1 victim per life stage

Parasitoid

Feeds on (infects) 1 host and kills host as part of development

Solitary predator

Kills and feeds on multiple victims per life stage, alone

Social Predator

Kills and feeds on multiple victims per life stage, in a group

Typical parasite

Infects, but not necessarily kills, 1 host per life stage

Parasitic Castrator

Infects and blocks reproduction capability of 1 host per life stage, typically feeds on gonadal tissue, but not always

Pathogen

Infects, but not necessarily killing, 1 host per life stage, and asexually reproduces in host

Trophically transmitted pathogen

1 host per life stage, 1 stage reaches the next host by the first host being eaten

Microparasites

Outdated term for pathogens

Macroparasites

Outdated term for parasites

How many known species are parasitic?

40%

Simple Life Cycle (SLC)

Only 1 host necessary to complete the life cycle

Complex Life Cycle (CLC)

Multiple hosts necessary to complete the life cycle

Intermediate Host

host in which parasite develops but does not reproduce sexually

Definitive Host

Host in which parasite reproduces sexually

What is the traditional approach to quantify parasite biodiversity?

Capture and dissect potential host species and look under a microscope for parasites.

Saprophage

Free-living organism that consumes organic matter derived from decomposition of dead organisms (eg. fungi, bacteria)

Sapronotic Agent

Saprophage that can establish an infection, multiplying in or on a host, causing disease

Sapronosis

Infectious disease caused by a free-living organism that can, under some circumstances, establish an infection and multiply within a host

Anthroponoses

Infectious disease primarily transmitted between humans, sometimes transmitted from humans to other animals

Zoonosis

Infectious disease passed from non-human animal to human, primary host is non-human animal

Vertical transmission

Transmission from parents to offspring

Horizontal transmission

passed any way that isn’t parents to offspring

Direct, passive transmission

Cyst, spore or egg must be contact, or be ingested by, the host

Direct, active transmission

host-seeking free-living parasite stage infects a host

Cryptic Species

those that are difficult to distinguish morphologically

Direct, contact transmission

Infected host must contact an uninfected host to transmit parasite

Vector transmission

Host species (typically arthropod) transmits parasite to different host species (often by biting)

Trophic transmission

Predator host becomes infected by killing and consuming prey host

Competence

Capacity of host to transmit infection after being exposed to a parasite

Exposure

Contact between host and parasite

Sensitivity in Infection PCR

the proportion of infected individuals that test positive. (Low sensitivity= many false negatives).

Specificity in Infection PCR

Proportion of uninfected individuals that test negative (Low specificity = many false positives).

Metagenomics

The identification of genes (or genomes) from multiple species in a single sample of DNA

Sequence Capture

RNA probs that match parasite genome are mixed into DNA sample, they bind to the parasite DNA and the host DNA is washed away.

Selective whole genome amplification

Design primers that bind the parasite more often than the host, amplify whole genome with phi29 enzyme.

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Great White Shark)

Solitary Predator

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Wolves)

Social Predators

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Cookiecutter Shark)

Micropredator

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Tarantula Hawk)

Parasitoid

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Tick)

Typical Parasite

What kind of natural enemy is this? (Loxothylacus panopaei (L. panopaei))