Outcome of within-host competition demonstrates that parasite virulence doesn't equal success in a myxozoan model system.

ABSTRACT: Within-host competition can affect outcomes of infections when parasites occupy the same niche. We investigated within-host competition and infection outcomes in Chinook salmon exposed to two genotypes of Ceratonova shasta (myxozoan parasite). We assessed i) virulence (host mortality, median days to death), ii) within-host competition (abundance in host), and iii) success (spore production, proportion of myxospore-producing hosts) following concurrent and sequential exposures to single or mixed-genotype treatments. In single treatments, genotype-I replicated faster, and caused higher and earlier host mortality (higher virulence) but genotype-II produced more myxospores (higher success). In mixed treatments, costs of competition were observed for both genotypes evidenced by reduced r

SUBMITTER: Hurst CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6441732 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature