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Metazoan-protozoan parasite co-infections and host body weight in St Kilda Soay sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2008

B. H. CRAIG ,
L. J. TEMPEST ,
J. G. PILKINGTON  and
J. M. PEMBERTON
B. H. CRAIG*
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland
L. J. TEMPEST
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland
J. G. PILKINGTON
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland
J. M. PEMBERTON
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland
*
*Corresponding author: Wildlife, Ecology and Management Group H, Veterinary Surveillance, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1904 462583. Fax: +44 (0) 1904 462111. E-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

For hundreds of years, the unmanaged Soay sheep population on St Kilda has survived despite enduring presumably deleterious co-infections of helminth, protozoan and arthropod parasites and intermittent periods of starvation. Important parasite taxa in young Soay sheep are strongyles (Trichostrongylus axei, Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Teladorsagia circumcincta), coccidia (11 Eimeria species) and keds (Melophagus ovinus) and in older animals, Teladorsagia circumcincta. In this research, associations between the intensity of different parasite taxa were investigated. Secondly, the intensities of different parasite taxa were tested for associations with variation in host weight, which is itself a determinant of over-winter survival in the host population. In lambs, the intensity of strongyle eggs was positively correlated with that of Nematodirus spp. eggs, while in yearlings and adults strongyle eggs and coccidia oocysts were positively correlated. In lambs and yearlings, of the parasite taxa tested, only strongyle eggs were significantly and negatively associated with host weight. However, in adult hosts, strongyles and coccidia were independently and negatively associated with host weight. These results are consistent with the idea that strongyles and coccidia are exerting independent selection on Soay sheep.

Keywords

Soay sheepSt Kildaco-infectionbody weightTrichostrongylus spp.Teladorsagia spp.Eimeria spp.Melophagus ovinus
Type
Original Articles
Information
Parasitology , Volume 135 , Issue 4 , April 2008 , pp. 433 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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