Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources

Griffiths, Emily C, Pedersen, Amy B, Fenton, Andy ORCID: 0000-0002-7676-917X and Petchey, Owen L (2014) Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 281 (1782). 20132286-.

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Abstract

Simultaneous infection by multiple parasite species (viruses, bacteria, helminths, protozoa or fungi) is commonplace. Most reports show co-infected humans to have worse health than those with single infections. However, we have little understanding of how co-infecting parasites interact within human hosts. We used data from over 300 published studies to construct a network that offers the first broad indications of how groups of co-infecting parasites tend to interact. The network had three levels comprising parasites, the resources they consume and the immune responses they elicit, connected by potential, observed and experimentally proved links. Pairs of parasite species had most potential to interact indirectly through shared resources, rather than through immune responses or other parasites. In addition, the network comprised 10 tightly knit groups, eight of which were associated with particular body parts, and seven of which were dominated by parasite–resource links. Reported co-infection in humans is therefore structured by physical location within the body, with bottom-up, resource-mediated processes most often influencing how, where and which co-infecting parasites interact. The many indirect interactions show how treating an infection could affect other infections in co-infected patients, but the compartmentalized structure of the network will limit how far these indirect effects are likely to spread.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Times Cited: 0 Petchey, Owen/D-8851-2011 Petchey, Owen/0000-0002-7724-1633 0 ## TULIP Type: Articles/Papers (Journal) ## official_url: <Go to ISI>://WOS:000334410100002
Uncontrolled Keywords:	degree distribution, ecological network, indirect interactions, modularity, parasite ecology, polymicrobial infection
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	13 Apr 2016 09:45
Last Modified:	18 Feb 2023 05:16
DOI:	10.1098/rspb.2013.2286
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3000505