Sin Nombre hantavirus interacts with helminth parasite co-infections in Montana deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)
Abstract/Artist Statement
Wildlife populations are exposed to diverse parasite communities, where co-infection is the rule rather than the exception. Understanding the mechanistic effects of co-infection on disease dynamics requires moving beyond the traditional focus on single pathogen - single host systems. We use infection of Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV) in wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) as a model system to identify potential mechanistic effects of co-infection on disease dynamics of SNV in its reservoir host. We trapped and removed wild deer mice (n = 1,065) from six sites across western Montana from 2023-2025 and tested individual SNV serostatus (n = 78 seropositive of 1,054 tested to date) and adult helminth infection via gastrointestinal dissection (n = 181 infected of 318 dissected to date). We used joint species occupancy (infection probability) models with symmetric interactions to estimate parameters of non-independent infection (presence/absence) of co-infecting parasites. This approach allows us to describe infection probability of each parasite species conditional on infection with other parasites and is preferable to linear models which assume an effect of one species on another but not vice versa. We compared models to determine whether Trichuris stansburyi, Calodium hepaticum (tissue-invasive helminths), and SNV interact in individual mice and to estimate effects of host characteristics, sex and body length, on independent infection and on interactions. The top model incorporated (1) non-independent interactions between parasite species, (2) a strong positive effect of body length on each infection (likely because older individuals have more time to become infected) and (3) a positive effect of sex (being male) on interactions. Predicted SNV infection probability was significantly higher in mice (especially males) that were co-infected with C. hepaticum. These results confirm that co-infections in this system are not independent and are impacted by host characteristics, emphasizing the importance of integrating co-infection into investigations disease dynamics.
Mentor Name
Angela Luis
Sin Nombre hantavirus interacts with helminth parasite co-infections in Montana deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)
UC 332
Wildlife populations are exposed to diverse parasite communities, where co-infection is the rule rather than the exception. Understanding the mechanistic effects of co-infection on disease dynamics requires moving beyond the traditional focus on single pathogen - single host systems. We use infection of Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV) in wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) as a model system to identify potential mechanistic effects of co-infection on disease dynamics of SNV in its reservoir host. We trapped and removed wild deer mice (n = 1,065) from six sites across western Montana from 2023-2025 and tested individual SNV serostatus (n = 78 seropositive of 1,054 tested to date) and adult helminth infection via gastrointestinal dissection (n = 181 infected of 318 dissected to date). We used joint species occupancy (infection probability) models with symmetric interactions to estimate parameters of non-independent infection (presence/absence) of co-infecting parasites. This approach allows us to describe infection probability of each parasite species conditional on infection with other parasites and is preferable to linear models which assume an effect of one species on another but not vice versa. We compared models to determine whether Trichuris stansburyi, Calodium hepaticum (tissue-invasive helminths), and SNV interact in individual mice and to estimate effects of host characteristics, sex and body length, on independent infection and on interactions. The top model incorporated (1) non-independent interactions between parasite species, (2) a strong positive effect of body length on each infection (likely because older individuals have more time to become infected) and (3) a positive effect of sex (being male) on interactions. Predicted SNV infection probability was significantly higher in mice (especially males) that were co-infected with C. hepaticum. These results confirm that co-infections in this system are not independent and are impacted by host characteristics, emphasizing the importance of integrating co-infection into investigations disease dynamics.