Reynolds Michael, Windsor Fredric, Perkins Sarah, Cable Joanne
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
Proc Biol Sci. 2025 May;292(2047):20250793. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0793. Epub 2025 May 28.
Social networks influence the spread of parasites through populations. Although we know how parasites are transmitted as a product of social interactions, we have a limited understanding of how social networks are affected by parasites over time. Host-parasite interactions and the networks they form, are typically examined as static networks, and while topological descriptions at a specific time point are useful, both behaviour and the infection process are dynamic. By monitoring replicate populations of Trinidadian guppies () daily before and during infection with the ectoparasite , we show how parasitism drives social network dynamics. Specifically, infected individuals increased their connections in networks affected by parasitism. In contrast, uninfected control shoals showed no change in network metrics. The structure of subnetworks (motifs) and networks, however, did not change in response to infection status. These findings provide further evidence of reciprocal host behaviour-parasite feedback mechanisms, and highlight that infected fish alter their interactions in order to 'off-load' their parasites. Understanding how these reciprocal interactions affect the structure and function of natural systems, as well as understanding how these interactions may alter with future environmental change, are key areas of future research.
社交网络会影响寄生虫在种群中的传播。尽管我们知道寄生虫作为社交互动的产物是如何传播的，但我们对社交网络随时间推移如何受到寄生虫影响的了解有限。宿主与寄生虫的相互作用以及它们形成的网络，通常被视为静态网络，虽然特定时间点的拓扑描述很有用，但行为和感染过程都是动态的。通过在感染外寄生虫之前和感染期间每天监测特立尼达孔雀鱼（）的重复种群，我们展示了寄生如何驱动社交网络动态。具体而言，受寄生虫感染的个体在受寄生影响的网络中增加了它们的联系。相比之下，未感染的对照鱼群在网络指标上没有变化。然而，子网（基序）和网络的结构并未因感染状态而改变。这些发现为宿主行为 - 寄生虫相互反馈机制提供了进一步的证据，并突出表明受感染的鱼会改变它们的互动以“摆脱”寄生虫。了解这些相互作用如何影响自然系统的结构和功能，以及了解这些相互作用如何随未来环境变化而改变，是未来研究的关键领域。
