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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Journal of helminthology
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40000403/ |
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Table of Contents:
- Is parasitic infection a buffer against metal pollution? Leiva, N V Montenegro, D Castro, C Silva, M Vidal, R González, M T Animals Snails Chile Copper Water Pollutants, Chemical Trematoda Host-Parasite Interactions Survival Analysis Metal pollution is a major global issue in aquatic environments, affecting environmental quality and potentially altering host-parasite dynamics. This study evaluates the buffering role of a larval trematode sp. under experimental conditions to test the effect of copper (Cu) exposure on the survival of the marine snail Snails were collected from intertidal rocky pools over a two-month period from Coloso (23°45'S, 70°28'W), northern Chile, and identified as parasitized or unparasitized. Both groups were then exposed to Cu concentrations (3 and 6 mg/L). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine the percentage of survival over time and the respective confidence intervals (CI). A nested ANOVA was conducted to assess whether rediae abundance per snail varied by experiment time, snail status, and Cu concentration. Snail survival was affected by both Cu-concentrations, but the effect was greater at 6 mg/L. At 3 mg/L, 57% (CI: 49.9-66.6%) of unparasitized snails were alive at 192 h, while 56% (CI: 46.6-67.4%) of parasitized snails survived at 216 h. At 6 mg/L, 42% (CI:35-51%) of unparasitized snails survived at 192 h, while 48% of parasitized snails survived at 216 h (CI:39-59%). Regardless of Cu concentration, after 240 h, all unparasitized snails had died, while 15% of parasitized snails remained alive. Dead snails harboured 125±53 rediae, while survivors had 194±73 rediae, with no significant differences between treatments. Our results show that parasitized snails survived longer than unparasitized snails, suggesting a trade-off between parasitism and host survival in polluted environments.