Parasites and invasions: changes in gastrointestinal helminth assemblages in invasive and native rodents in Senegal.
Understanding why some exotic species become widespread and abundant in their colonised range is a fundamental issue that still needs to be addressed. Among many hypotheses, newly established host populations may benefit from a parasite loss ("enemy release" hypothesis) through impoverishment of their original parasite communities or reduced infection levels. Moreover, the fitness of competing native hosts may be negatively affected by the acquisition of exotic taxa from invaders ("parasite spillover") and/or by an increased transmission risk of native parasites due to their amplification by invaders ("parasite spillback"). We focused on gastrointestinal helminth communities to determine whether these predictions could explain the ongoing invasion success of the commensal house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) and black rat (Rattus rattus), as well as the associated decrease in native Mastomys spp., in Senegal. For both invasive species, our results were consistent with the predictions of the enemy release hypothesis. A decrease in overall gastrointestinal helminth prevalence and infracommunity species richness was observed along the invasion gradients as well as lower specific prevalence/abundance (Aspiculuris tetraptera in Mus musculus domesticus, Hymenolepis diminuta in Rattus rattus) on the invasion fronts. Conversely, we did not find strong evidence of GIH spillover or spillback in invasion fronts, where native and invasive rodents co-occurred. Further experimental research is needed to determine whether and how the loss of gastrointestinal helminths and reduced infection levels along invasion routes may result in any advantageous effects on invader fitness and competitive advantage.
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (CBGP) (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France; IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal; Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), BP 5005 Fann, Dakar, Senegal. Electronic address: chrisdiagne89@hotmail.fr.
Christophe
C
Diagne
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (CBGP) (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France; Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Avda Diagonal s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Alexis
A
Ribas
Inra, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier sur Lez, France.
Nathalie
N
Charbonnel
IRD, LPED (UMR AMU / IRD), 3 place Victor Hugo, Marseille, France.
Ambroise
A
Dalecky
Inra, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier sur Lez, France.
Caroline
C
Tatard
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (CBGP) (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France.
Philippe
P
Gauthier
Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, P. Rau-tatiekatu 13, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Voitto
V
Haukisalmi
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (CBGP) (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France.
Odile
O
Fossati-Gaschignard
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal.
Khalilou
K
Bâ
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal.
Mamadou
M
Kane
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal.
Youssoupha
Y
Niang
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal.
Mamoudou
M
Diallo
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal.
Aliou
A
Sow
Inra, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier sur Lez, France.
Sylvain
S
Piry
IRD, CBGP (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal; Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), BP 5005 Fann, Dakar, Senegal.
Mbacké
M
Sembène
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (CBGP) (UMR INRA / IRD / Cirad / Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France.
Carine
C
Brouat
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000469:parasitology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006925:Hymenolepiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D058865:Introduced Species; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000469:parasitology*; D051189:Murinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D010123:Oxyuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats / Q000469:parasitology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology
Biological invasions; Enemy release; Gastrointestinal helminths; Mus musculus domesticus; Parasite community structure; Rattus rattus; Spillback; Spillover