The establishment rate of a sheep nematode: revisiting classics using a meta-analysis of 87 experiments

Strongyle nematode establishment rate in their host is a highly variable life history trait, which makes it difficult to estimate. A meta-analysis was applied to the nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta of sheep in order to acquire a general framework of the factors modulating this life trait. A linear model was built with individual data on 540 infected lambs extracted from 13 articles. Lambs breed and age, time lag between last infection and the interaction between infection mode, infective dose and the number of repeated infective doses were significantly related with the establishment rate. The influence of infection mode on nematode establishment rate was also evaluated by comparing nematode establishment rate distributions within lamb populations infected under different conditions. Natural and repeated experimental infections lead to similar distribution of establishment rate. Conversely, these infection conditions resulted in different parasite establishment rates in average (12.7 and 23.4%, respectively). Three hypotheses are discussed to explain this result: immune protective response, host avoidance behaviour and parasite virulence.