Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection

Many individual hosts are infected with multiple parasite species, and this may increase or decrease the pathogenicity of the infections. This phenomenon is termed heterologous reactivity and is potentially an important determinant of both patterns of morbidity and mortality and of the impact of dis...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Woolhouse, Mark E.J., Thumbi, Samuel M., Jennings, A., Chase-Topping, M., Callaby, R., Kiara, Henry K., Oosthuizen, M.C., Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N., Conradie, I., Handel, Ian G., Poole, Elizabeth J., Njiiri, E., Collins, N.E., Murray, G., Tapio, M., Auguet, O.T., Weir, W., Morrison, W. Ivan, Kruuk, L.E.B., Bronsvoort, B.M. de C., Hanotte, Olivier H., Coetzer, K., Toye, Philip G.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/59824
_version_ 1855543192596774912
author Woolhouse, Mark E.J.
Thumbi, Samuel M.
Jennings, A.
Chase-Topping, M.
Callaby, R.
Kiara, Henry K.
Oosthuizen, M.C.
Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N.
Conradie, I.
Handel, Ian G.
Poole, Elizabeth J.
Njiiri, E.
Collins, N.E.
Murray, G.
Tapio, M.
Auguet, O.T.
Weir, W.
Morrison, W. Ivan
Kruuk, L.E.B.
Bronsvoort, B.M. de C.
Hanotte, Olivier H.
Coetzer, K.
Toye, Philip G.
author_browse Auguet, O.T.
Bronsvoort, B.M. de C.
Callaby, R.
Chase-Topping, M.
Coetzer, K.
Collins, N.E.
Conradie, I.
Handel, Ian G.
Hanotte, Olivier H.
Jennings, A.
Kiara, Henry K.
Kruuk, L.E.B.
Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N.
Morrison, W. Ivan
Murray, G.
Njiiri, E.
Oosthuizen, M.C.
Poole, Elizabeth J.
Tapio, M.
Thumbi, Samuel M.
Toye, Philip G.
Weir, W.
Woolhouse, Mark E.J.
author_facet Woolhouse, Mark E.J.
Thumbi, Samuel M.
Jennings, A.
Chase-Topping, M.
Callaby, R.
Kiara, Henry K.
Oosthuizen, M.C.
Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N.
Conradie, I.
Handel, Ian G.
Poole, Elizabeth J.
Njiiri, E.
Collins, N.E.
Murray, G.
Tapio, M.
Auguet, O.T.
Weir, W.
Morrison, W. Ivan
Kruuk, L.E.B.
Bronsvoort, B.M. de C.
Hanotte, Olivier H.
Coetzer, K.
Toye, Philip G.
author_sort Woolhouse, Mark E.J.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Many individual hosts are infected with multiple parasite species, and this may increase or decrease the pathogenicity of the infections. This phenomenon is termed heterologous reactivity and is potentially an important determinant of both patterns of morbidity and mortality and of the impact of disease control measures at the population level. Using infections with Theileria parva (a tick-borne protozoan, related to Plasmodium) in indigenous African cattle [where it causes East Coast fever (ECF)] as a model system, we obtain the first quantitative estimate of the effects of heterologous reactivity for any parasitic disease. In individual calves, concurrent co-infection with less pathogenic species of Theileria resulted in an 89% reduction in mortality associated with T. parva infection. Across our study population, this corresponds to a net reduction in mortality due to ECF of greater than 40%. Using a mathematical model, we demonstrate that this degree of heterologous protection provides a unifying explanation for apparently disparate epidemiological patterns: variable disease-induced mortality rates, age-mortality profiles, weak correlations between the incidence of infection and disease (known as endemic stability), and poor efficacy of interventions that reduce exposure to multiple parasite species. These findings can be generalized to many other infectious diseases, including human malaria, and illustrate how co-infections can play a key role in determining population-level patterns of morbidity and mortality due to parasite infections.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace59824
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2015
publishDateRange 2015
publishDateSort 2015
publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science
publisherStr American Association for the Advancement of Science
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace598242024-01-17T12:58:34Z Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection Woolhouse, Mark E.J. Thumbi, Samuel M. Jennings, A. Chase-Topping, M. Callaby, R. Kiara, Henry K. Oosthuizen, M.C. Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N. Conradie, I. Handel, Ian G. Poole, Elizabeth J. Njiiri, E. Collins, N.E. Murray, G. Tapio, M. Auguet, O.T. Weir, W. Morrison, W. Ivan Kruuk, L.E.B. Bronsvoort, B.M. de C. Hanotte, Olivier H. Coetzer, K. Toye, Philip G. animal diseases Many individual hosts are infected with multiple parasite species, and this may increase or decrease the pathogenicity of the infections. This phenomenon is termed heterologous reactivity and is potentially an important determinant of both patterns of morbidity and mortality and of the impact of disease control measures at the population level. Using infections with Theileria parva (a tick-borne protozoan, related to Plasmodium) in indigenous African cattle [where it causes East Coast fever (ECF)] as a model system, we obtain the first quantitative estimate of the effects of heterologous reactivity for any parasitic disease. In individual calves, concurrent co-infection with less pathogenic species of Theileria resulted in an 89% reduction in mortality associated with T. parva infection. Across our study population, this corresponds to a net reduction in mortality due to ECF of greater than 40%. Using a mathematical model, we demonstrate that this degree of heterologous protection provides a unifying explanation for apparently disparate epidemiological patterns: variable disease-induced mortality rates, age-mortality profiles, weak correlations between the incidence of infection and disease (known as endemic stability), and poor efficacy of interventions that reduce exposure to multiple parasite species. These findings can be generalized to many other infectious diseases, including human malaria, and illustrate how co-infections can play a key role in determining population-level patterns of morbidity and mortality due to parasite infections. 2015-03-06 2015-03-23T09:05:30Z 2015-03-23T09:05:30Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/59824 en Open Access American Association for the Advancement of Science Woolhouse, M.E.J., Thumbi, S.M., Jennings, A., Chase-Topping, M., Callaby, R., Kiara, H., Oosthuizen, M.C., Mbole-Kariuki, M.N., Conradie, I., Handel, I.G., Poole, E.J., Njiiri, E., Collins, N.E., Murray, G., Tapio, M. Auguet, O.T., Weir, W., Morrison, W.I., Kruuk, L.E.B., Bronsvoort, B. M. de C. Hanotte, O., Coetzer, K., Toye, P.G. 2015. Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection. Science Advances 1(2): e1400026
spellingShingle animal diseases
Woolhouse, Mark E.J.
Thumbi, Samuel M.
Jennings, A.
Chase-Topping, M.
Callaby, R.
Kiara, Henry K.
Oosthuizen, M.C.
Mbole-Kariuki, Mary N.
Conradie, I.
Handel, Ian G.
Poole, Elizabeth J.
Njiiri, E.
Collins, N.E.
Murray, G.
Tapio, M.
Auguet, O.T.
Weir, W.
Morrison, W. Ivan
Kruuk, L.E.B.
Bronsvoort, B.M. de C.
Hanotte, Olivier H.
Coetzer, K.
Toye, Philip G.
Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title_full Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title_fullStr Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title_full_unstemmed Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title_short Co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
title_sort co infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection
topic animal diseases
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/59824
work_keys_str_mv AT woolhousemarkej coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT thumbisamuelm coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT jenningsa coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT chasetoppingm coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT callabyr coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT kiarahenryk coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT oosthuizenmc coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT mbolekariukimaryn coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT conradiei coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT handeliang coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT pooleelizabethj coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT njiirie coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT collinsne coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT murrayg coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT tapiom coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT auguetot coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT weirw coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT morrisonwivan coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT kruukleb coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT bronsvoortbmdec coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT hanotteolivierh coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT coetzerk coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection
AT toyephilipg coinfectionsdeterminepatternsofmortalityinapopulationexposedtoparasiteinfection