Publications by authors named "Maria J Saravia-Pietropaolo"
The majority of known Philornis species (Diptera: Muscidae) cause subcutaneous myiasis in Neotropical altricial and semi-altricial nestlings. Generating information about these parasites is of relevance as they are a threat for the conservation of some wild bird species and also because they are an excellent model to study the ecology of host-parasite interactions. Although there are records of this parasitism in adult birds, the parasitic larvae are primarily associated with nestlings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEncountering suitable hosts is key for parasite success. A general assumption for disease transmission is that the contact of a parasite with a potential host is driven by the density or relative frequency of hosts. That assumption ignores the potential role of differential host attractiveness for parasites that can drive the encounter of hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Hosts use two main strategies to defend against infections: resistance, which reduces the pathogen's ability to thrive, and tolerance, which minimizes the damage caused by the infection.
- This study examined the differences in these defense strategies between a primary bird host and alternative bird hosts infected by the same insect parasite (Philornis torquans).
- Findings revealed that the main host exhibited high tolerance with low resistance, leading to high parasite success, while alternative hosts displayed varying levels of resistance that affected both virulence and parasite success.