Persistence, impacts and environmental drivers of covert infections in invertebrate hosts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Persistent covert infections of the myxozoan, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, in primary invertebrate hosts (the freshwater bryozoan, Fredericella sultana) have been proposed to represent a reservoir for proliferative kidney disease in secondary fish hosts. However, we have limited understanding of how covert infections persist and vary in bryozoan populations over time and space and how they may impact these populations. In addition, previous studies have likely underestimated covert infection prevalence. To improve our understanding of the dynamics, impacts and implications of covert infections we employed a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and undertook the first investigation of covert infections in the field over an annual period by sampling bry

SUBMITTER: Fontes I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5668978 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature