Helminth–microparasite co-infection in wildlife: lessons from ruminants, rodents and rabbits

Abstract

Co-infection is now recognized as the natural state of affairs in most hosts and co-infecting parasites interact in a variety of ways that can impact host health and parasite fitness. Interactions between helminths and microparasites have captured particular attention in this regard owing to the ubiquity of helminth infections in many host populations. The mechanistic underpinnings and health implications of co-infection are typically studied in laboratory and clinical settings, but recently studies of wild species have begun to tackle similar issues. Case studies from three wild mammal groups—ruminants, rodents and rabbits—serve to highlight how wild studies are contributing to the broader co-infection literature. This work suggests that wildlife research can generate new and unique insights about helminth–microparasite co-infection that are fostered in part by studying parasite interactions in a natural context. For this reason, increased integration of wild studies with research in human, laboratory and veterinary animal populations can help pave the way towards a more complete understanding of the issue of co-infection.