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Effects of malaria double infection in birds: one plus one is not two.

Marzal, A ; Bensch, Staffan LU ; Reviriego, M ; Balbontin, J and De Lope, F (2008) In Journal of evolutionary biology 21(4). p.979-987
Abstract
Avian malaria parasites are supposed to exert negative effects on host fitness because these intracellular parasites affect host metabolism. Recent advances in molecular genotyping and microscopy have revealed that coinfections with multiple parasites are frequent in bird-malaria parasite systems. However, studies of the fitness consequences of such double infections are scarce and inconclusive. We tested if the infection with two malaria parasite lineages has more negative effects than single infection using 6 years of data from a natural population of house martins. Survival was negatively affected by both types of infections. We found an additive cost from single to double infection in body condition, but not in reproductive parameters... (More)
Avian malaria parasites are supposed to exert negative effects on host fitness because these intracellular parasites affect host metabolism. Recent advances in molecular genotyping and microscopy have revealed that coinfections with multiple parasites are frequent in bird-malaria parasite systems. However, studies of the fitness consequences of such double infections are scarce and inconclusive. We tested if the infection with two malaria parasite lineages has more negative effects than single infection using 6 years of data from a natural population of house martins. Survival was negatively affected by both types of infections. We found an additive cost from single to double infection in body condition, but not in reproductive parameters (double-infected had higher reproductive success). These results demonstrate that malaria infections decrease survival, but also have different consequences on the breeding performance of single- and double-infected wild birds. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
double infections, Delichon urbica, avian malaria parasites, body condition, reproductive effort, survival.
in
Journal of evolutionary biology
volume
21
issue
4
pages
979 - 987
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000256687100005
  • scopus:45149101621
ISSN
1420-9101
DOI
10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01545.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5e8cbd78-e4d2-4033-9f91-0dbdb1bec5d5 (old id 1154481)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:28:53
date last changed
2022-04-05 22:49:30
@article{5e8cbd78-e4d2-4033-9f91-0dbdb1bec5d5,
  abstract     = {{Avian malaria parasites are supposed to exert negative effects on host fitness because these intracellular parasites affect host metabolism. Recent advances in molecular genotyping and microscopy have revealed that coinfections with multiple parasites are frequent in bird-malaria parasite systems. However, studies of the fitness consequences of such double infections are scarce and inconclusive. We tested if the infection with two malaria parasite lineages has more negative effects than single infection using 6 years of data from a natural population of house martins. Survival was negatively affected by both types of infections. We found an additive cost from single to double infection in body condition, but not in reproductive parameters (double-infected had higher reproductive success). These results demonstrate that malaria infections decrease survival, but also have different consequences on the breeding performance of single- and double-infected wild birds.}},
  author       = {{Marzal, A and Bensch, Staffan and Reviriego, M and Balbontin, J and De Lope, F}},
  issn         = {{1420-9101}},
  keywords     = {{double infections; Delichon urbica; avian malaria parasites; body condition; reproductive effort; survival.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{979--987}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of evolutionary biology}},
  title        = {{Effects of malaria double infection in birds: one plus one is not two.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01545.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01545.x}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}