Urine DNA (uDNA) as a non‐lethal method for endoparasite biomonitoring: Development and validation

Abstract

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Make visible the invisible: Optimized development of an environmental DNA metabarcoding tool for the characterization of trematode parasitic communities

“…Moreover, although not specifically assessed in this study, this tool could also be useful to document the lifecycle of some still understudied trematode species. For instance, combined with eDNA approaches on definitive hosts feces or urine (Duval et al, 2021; Huggins et al, 2017), on bulk mollusks or on bulk invertebrates (Ruppert et al, 2019), it might be possible to identify new intermediate or definitive hosts for some trematode species. In an ecological prospective, this metabarcode also constitutes a new tool to detect and monitor invasive species.…”

Benefits of Parasitism in Polluted Environments: A Review and Perspectives

“…At the population level, it would be crucial to compare the host infection status according to environmental pollution without sacrificing individuals. A non-lethal and non-invasive method is the use of urine DNA (uDNA, Duval et al, 2021), but it requires methodological developments to be extended to several parasite species. This opens new avenues for research on parasitism in host populations exposed to environmental contamination.…”

Use of environmental DNA to detect the myxozoan endoparasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in large Norwegian lakes

“…All parasites depend on their hosts to live and complete their life cycles. Endoparasites, such as myxozoans ‐ which are normally concealed within their hosts, can be particularly difficult to detect and sample in the environment (Bass et al, 2015; Duval et al, 2021; Okamura et al, 2018). Traditional surveys therefore mostly rely on lethal sampling of the host to detect the parasite (Huver et al, 2015; Rusch et al, 2018).…”

“…Traditional surveys therefore mostly rely on lethal sampling of the host to detect the parasite (Huver et al, 2015; Rusch et al, 2018). eDNA offers sampling and detection of genetic material released from a parasite, without capturing or killing its host (Bass et al, 2015; Duval et al, 2021; Hallett & Bartholomew, 2006; Huver et al, 2015; Rusch et al, 2018).…”

“…The presence of T. bryosalmonae has so far mainly been documented by the lethal sampling of its hosts, by analysis of blood or tissue samples from salmonids, and less frequently, parts of bryozoan colonies. However, the use of eDNA for detecting the parasite is evolving and an increasing number of surveys are using eDNA to detect T. bryosalmonae, so far mainly from rivers (Fontes et al, 2017;Hutchins et al, 2017;Sepulveda et al, 2020;Sepulveda et al, 2021), and in controlled experiments (Duval et al, 2021;Sieber et al, 2020).…”