22 April 2004
Parasite interactions: Gut issue
A long-standing argument as to whether interactions between different parasites are important in shaping parasite communities has been resolved by a unique experiment involving monthly sampling of gut parasites in a wild rabbit population observed continuously for 23 years. The data reveal a network of interactions similar to those in other ecosystems sharing limited resources. The numbers of a specific parasite present can have positive or negative effects on other parasites. As the nematode and tapeworm communities in rabbits are similar to those in economically important herbivores, work on this system has implications for livestock management. Specifically, there is concern at the increasing level of resistance to anthelmintic drugs among common parasites, and use of a benign parasite to reduce the populations of more harmful competitors might provide an alternative way to control infestations.
Competition and mutualism among the gut helminths
of a mammalian host
JOANNE LELLO, BRIAN BOAG, ANDREW FENTON, IAN R. STEVENSON
& PETER J. HUDSON
Nature 428, 840–844 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02490
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