Susceptibility of free-living infective stages of parasites to contaminants is relatively understudied compared with independent effects on measures of host health or immunity, but may be important in affecting prevalence and intensity of parasite infections. We investigated whether atrazine, an herbicide commonly used in North America, affected the cercariae of 4 different species of digenetic trematodes, and found that effects of atrazine concentration on mortality and activity of cercariae varied among species. Mortality of Echinostoma trivolvis increased in a 200 μg/L atrazine solution, and a species of Alaria showed both decreased activity and increased mortality. We also examined whether the ability of E. trivolvis to infect the second intermediate host, larval amphibians, was compromised by atrazine exposure. Longevity and prevalence of E. trivolvis cercariae was affected at 200 μg/L atrazine, whereas intensity of infection in Rana clamitans tadpoles was reduced at both 20 μg/L and 200 μg/L atrazine. Our results indicate that the viability of cercariae of some species is compromised by exposure to atrazine, emphasizing the importance of considering the influence of contaminants on free-living stages of parasites in addressing how environmental degradation may relate to host parasitism.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
April 2006
Research Article|
April 01 2006
EFFECTS OF ATRAZINE ON CERCARIAL LONGEVITY, ACTIVITY, AND INFECTIVITY
Janet Koprivnikar;
Janet Koprivnikar
Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6. jkoprivn@utm.utoronto.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Mark R. Forbes;
Mark R. Forbes
Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6. jkoprivn@utm.utoronto.ca
* Department of Biology, 209 Nesbitt Building, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6
Search for other works by this author on:
Robert L. Baker
Robert L. Baker
Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6. jkoprivn@utm.utoronto.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
J Parasitol (2006) 92 (2): 306–311.
Citation
Janet Koprivnikar, Mark R. Forbes, Robert L. Baker; EFFECTS OF ATRAZINE ON CERCARIAL LONGEVITY, ACTIVITY, AND INFECTIVITY. J Parasitol 1 April 2006; 92 (2): 306–311. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-624R.1
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
ULTRASTRUCTURE AND CYTOCHEMISTRY OF LATE EMBRYOS AND COTYLOCIDIUM LARVAE OF ROHDELLA AMAZONICA (TREMATODA: ASPIDOGASTREA), FROM THE TROPICAL ESTUARINE FISH, COLOMESUS PSITTACUS
David Bruce Conn, Zdzisław Świderski, Elane G. Giese, Jordi Miquel
PHARMACOLOGICAL AND MECHANISTIC STUDIES OF UREQUINONA, A MOLECULE FROM ROOTS OF PENTALINON ANDRIEUXII MUELL-ARG THAT HEALS MURINE LEISHMANIA MEXICANA INFECTION
A. P. Isaac-Márquez, C. M. Lezama-Dávila
PERUANOCOTYLE PELAGICA N. SP. (MONOGENEA: MONOCOTYLIDAE), PARASITE OF THE PACIFIC COWNOSE RAY RHINOPTERA STEINDACHNERI EVERMANN AND JENKINS, 1891 (BATOIDEA: RHINOPTERIDAE) FROM THE SOUTHERN MEXICAN PACIFIC OCEAN
Fernando Ruiz-Escobar, Gerardo Torres-Carrera, Mariela Ramos-Sánchez, Luis García-Prieto, Berenit Mendoza-Garfias, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF EGG ENVELOPES AND EARLY EMBRYOS OF ROHDELLA AMAZONICA (TREMATODA: ASPIDOGASTREA) PARASITIC IN BANDED PUFFER FISH, COLOMESUS PSITTACUS
David Bruce Conn, Zdzisław Świderski, Elane G. Giese, Jordi Miquel
PARASITISM IN HYBRID SUNFISH (LEPOMIS SPP.): PATTERNS OF INFECTION AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY LEVEL
Brandi N. Griffith Keller, Ansleigh T. White, Nicholas S. Strait, Victoria L. Krist, Michael R. Zimmermann