Environmental and social factors affecting the excretion of intestinal parasite eggs in graylag geese

Wascher, Claudia A. F.; Bauer, Alexandra; Holtmann, Anna Ria; Kotrschal, Kurt

doi:10.1093/beheco/ars113

Cited by 15 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In our study, females generally excreted more nematode eggs than males. This observation is in line with previous results on Greylag geese where females were found to excrete more coccidian oocysts than males (Wascher et al 2012 ). Greylag geese females incubate the eggs and brood the goslings and therefore also after egg production bear a greater reproductive investment than males, which are mainly active in vigilance and in the defence of their family against other geese (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

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Excretion patterns of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs during the reproductive season in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)

et al. 2016

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Individual reproductive success largely depends on the ability to optimize behaviour, immune function and the physiological stress response. We have investigated correlations between behaviour, faecal steroid metabolites, immune parameters, parasite excretion patterns and reproductive output in a critically endangered avian species, the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita). In particular, we related haematocrit, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, excreted immune-reactive corticosterone metabolites and social behaviour with parasite excretion and two individual fitness parameters, namely, number of eggs laid and number of fledglings. We found that the frequency of excretion of parasites’ oocysts and eggs tended to increase with ambient temperature. Paired individuals excreted significantly more samples containing nematode eggs than unpaired ones. The excretion of nematode eggs was also significantly more frequent in females than in males. Individuals with a high proportion of droppings containing coccidian oocysts were more often preened by their partners than individuals with lower excretion rates. We observed that the more eggs an individual incubated and the fewer offspring fledged, the higher the rates of excreted samples containing coccidian oocysts. Our results confirm that social behaviour, physiology and parasite burden are linked in a complex and context-dependent manner. They also contribute background information supporting future conservation programmes dealing with this critically endangered species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…were prevalent. This is consistent with the parasite burden found in the population of Greylag geese ( Anser anser ) using the same habitat as the Northern Bald Ibis at the KLF (Wascher et al 2012 ) as well as with data collected on other Northern Bald Ibis populations (Mason 2010 ).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 88%

Excretion patterns of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs during the reproductive season in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)

et al. 2016

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“…A total of 67 (30%) of publications discussed viral diseases and 53 (23%) bacterial diseases, 9 (4%) dealt with diseases of fungal origin, and 13 (6%) papers mentioned multiple infectious agents (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41). We found no studies concerning diseases caused by prions (see Figure 4).…”

Section: Infectious Agentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infectious Wildlife Diseases in Austria—A Literature Review From 1980 Until 2017

Trimmel

Walzer

2020

Front. Vet. Sci.

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This literature review examines infectious wildlife disease research in Austria. We analyzed 226 research papers, published between 1980 and 2017. We determined that wildlife disease papers increased significantly from 0.8 ± 0.8 publications per year in the first decade (1980-1989) when compared to 2008-2017 with an average of 12.9 ± 4.1 publications per year. We illustrate information about the most investigated diseases and highlight the lack of research into certain wildlife pathogens. A special emphasis was given to diseases with zoonotic potential. The review showed that research focused on a few select species like the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa), all game species. Moreover, diseases affecting livestock and human health were seen more often. The review also found that only a low number of publications actually stated disease prevalence and confidence interval data. The reported diseases identified were classified according to their notifiable status and the distribution at the wildlife-human and wildlife-livestock interface. Furthermore, we try to argue why research into some diseases is prioritized, and why other diseases are underrepresented in current Austrian research. While spatiotemporal indicators could not be assessed due to the variability in methodologies and objectives of various studies, the information provided by this review offers the first comprehensive evaluation of the status of infectious wildlife disease research in Austria. Therefore, this study could assist investigators to identify further areas of priorities for research and conservation efforts and for wildlife management professionals to inform policy and funding strategies. With this review, we want to encourage research in the field of wildlife diseases in Austria to enhance current knowledge in the prevention of further loss in biodiversity and to find new measures to promote "One Health" on a global scale.

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“…We suggest that long-term social bonds go beyond dampening corticosterone levels and benefitting both haematological and immunological parameters 17 , 18 , 54 to also affect further stress-related parameters such as digestive efficiency. In fact, socially well-embedded individuals benefit from better nutrient absorption than individuals lacking the supportive presence of social allies within the flock.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Social context modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese (Anser anser)

Frigerio

Kotrschal

Fabro

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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In group-living animals, social context is known to modulate physiology, behaviour and reproductive output as well as foraging and nutritional strategies. Here we investigate the digestive efficiency of 38 individuals belonging to different social categories of a semi-feral and individually marked flock of greylag geese (Anser anser). During 9 consecutive days in winter 2017, when the ground was fully covered with snow (i.e. no grass or other natural forage available) and the accessible food was standardized, 184 individual droppings were collected and analysed to estimate the apparent digestibility of organic matter (ADOM). Lignin was used as an indigestible internal marker in the food and droppings. The digestive efficiency was higher in pairs with offspring as compared to pairs without offspring or unpaired birds. Furthermore, individuals with high ADOM were more likely to breed successfully in the following season than those with low ADOM. Our findings demonstrate that social status modulates digestive efficiency, probably via a chain of physiological mechanisms including a dampened stress response in individuals enjoying stable social relationships with and social support by their family members (i.e. their own pair-partner and offspring). Our findings underline the importance of the social network in modulating physiology, such as digestive efficiency, and ultimately reproductive success.

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Environmental and social factors affecting the excretion of intestinal parasite eggs in graylag geese

Cited by 15 publications

References 45 publications

Excretion patterns of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs during the reproductive season in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)

Excretion patterns of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs during the reproductive season in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)

Infectious Wildlife Diseases in Austria—A Literature Review From 1980 Until 2017

Social context modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese (Anser anser)

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