Ecological relationships between co-infecting parasites of the same host as exemplified by microsporidia infecting mosquitoes

More than 80% of all known species are believed to be dependent on their host. In natural populations, most hosts have their own symbiotes, including organisms that live at their expense, that is, parasites that can influence each other. In natural populations, infections of the same host with different species of parasites are common and may affect the structure of the host’s microbial community and the biological diversity of parasites. During co-infection of the host with various parasites, there may be negative or mutually beneficial interactions for the parasites, which has an impact on their spread, evolution and species diversity. The most common parasites with a high potential for interaction are intestinal parasites. Among them, over 1,500 species of microsporidia are distinguished, which are obligate intracellular parasites in animals, including humans. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Outside the host organism, microsporidia can only survive as spores with a unique infecting apparatus, which is coiled up in spores and, when infected, fired directly into the host’s cells. Microsporidia primarily cause gastrointestinal and ocular infections, but when severely infected, these organisms can infect any organ. So far, few studies have revealed that some species of microsporidia may interact with each other and / or with other pathogens, e.g. microsporidium-infected mosquitoes have been reported to inhibit the growth of Plasmodium protozoa, a disease known as malaria. Mosquitoes are vectors of many pathogenic organisms, such as protozoa, viruses, nematodes, pathogenic bacteria and over 90 species of microsporidia. Moreover, these insects often host more than one pathogen. For these reasons, they are a good model for studying the interactions between parasites. The obtained results will help to answer the questions: what species of microsporidia are co-infected by mosquitoes and how they interact with each other and / or with other pathogens and bacteria. The identification of such impacts is a necessary condition for understanding the epidemiological dynamics and evolution of these parasites, and thus for the control and regulation of pathogens that are highly pathogenic to humans and cause enormous economic losses.

Project details

Basic Science

Feb 2021 — Feb 2024

$51,547

Poland