The regulation of mortality and fecundity in Schistosoma mattheei following a single experimental infection in sheep.
The regulation of mortality and fecundity of Schistosoma mattheei in sheep was examined using a series of mathematical models applied to data culled from the literature. Parasite mortality (mu) was found to be an increasing linear function of the magnitude of the initial infection over the ranges of doses examined (200-91,000 cercariae) where mu = 9.78 x 10(-3) + 3.476 x 10(-7) infection dose. Parasite fecundity (lambda) was found to be inversely related to the duration of the infection. The best fit model for parasite fecundity was one in which fecundity decreased exponentially with time since initial infection, lambda = lambda 0e-delta(t-tau). There was no evidence for density-dependent regulation of fecundity.
Coyne
M J
MJ
Section of Animal Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square 19348.
Smith
G
G
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000502:physiology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*