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Rabbits shed light on gut issue for livestock
1 Jul 2004
A study of wild rabbits, co-authored by a CSIRO scientist, has found that there's a network of interactions between the five major species of nematodes and tapeworms existing in the rabbit's gut. Previously, researchers had thought of parasites as individual species interacting with their host but not with each other.
The finding could lead to new and improved management strategies for parasitic diseases in sheep, as the parasite biology in the rabbit and the sheep, both herbivores, is very similar.
Helminth parasites (including sheep nematodes) are one of the major causes of economic losses to Australian sheep producers in medium and high rainfall areas.
CSIRO believes that the lack of knowledge about parasite interactions could be the reason vaccines that work in the lab often prove less effective in field trials, as treatment of one parasite alone, without regard to interactions, can cause large increases in other species in the parasite network.
CSIRO Media Release, 30/6/04.
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