The blood feeding nematode Haemonchus contortus infects the abomasum of small ruminants and compartment three (C-3) of camelids. Heavy infections may cause severe anemia and death. Alpacas were first introduced into the U.S. in the 1980s. Although not true ruminants, alpacas may become infected with H. contortus and develop the same clinical signs as sheep and goats. Even though alpacas may become infected with the parasite, prior research by Hill et al. (1993) and Green et al. (1996) indicates alpacas may be more resistant to parasitic infection because they found lower numbers of eggs in the feces of alpacas compared to small ruminants. For our research, we hypothesized that given the same exposure to experimental infection, alpacas would be less susceptible than sheep to H. contortus. Experiment 1 was conducted with adult male alpacas (23) and sheep (12) housed in pens to prevent additional exposure to H. contortus. All animals were dewormed orally with a cocktail of fenbendazole, levamisole, and ivermectin. Haemonchus contortus infective larvae were administered orally to alpacas and rams in the following groups:1) 20,000 larvae as a single dose (bolus, n=6 both alpacas and sheep), 2) 20,000 larvae in daily doses of 4,000 larvae for 5 days (trickle, n=5 for alpacas, n=6 for sheep). Two additional groups of alpacas (n=6 each) received either 50,000 larvae as a bolus infection, or in daily doses of 10,000 larvae for 5 days (trickle). Fecal egg counts (FEC) were determined every 2 days from 14 to 42 days post infection (PI) and then at 5 day intervals until day 62 PI. Packed cell volume (PCV), FAMACHA scores, weight, and body condition scores were evaluated weekly. In general, mean FEC were lower in alpacas than sheep (p<0.01), and mean alpaca PCV was affected less by infection than sheep PCV. Experiment 1 results are consistent with our hypothesis that alpacas are less susceptible to H. contortus infection than sheep; however we were unable to determine whether alpaca FEC reflected fewer adult worms or only reduced H. contortus egg production compared to sheep. Experiment 2 was conducted with 16 alpacas and 12 rams and all animals were orally dewormed as in Experiment 1. Haemonchus contortus infective larvae were administered orally to alpacas in the following groups: 1) 20,000 larvae as a single dose (bolus, n=8), and 2) 20,000 larvae in daily doses of 4,000 larvae for 5 days (trickle, n=8). Ram groups (n=6 each) were the same as the alpaca groups. Fecal egg counts were determined at 5 day intervals from days 14 to 49 PI for bolus infected animals and to day 54 PI for trickle infected animals. FAMACHA scores were evaluated weekly. Packed cell volume was evaluated at the beginning and end of the study. All animals were euthanized 49 days after the last infection day. At euthanasia, abomasa and C-3 were harvested for determination of total worm burden and the pH was determined for each sheep rumen and abomasum and each alpaca C-1 and C-3. Mean FEC and total worm burden were significantly lower in alpacas than sheep (p<0.0001 for both FEC and total worm burden). Rumen pH in sheep was higher than C-1 pH in alpacas, but abomasal pH in sheep was significantly lower than C-3 pH in alpacas. Bolus infected sheep had lower FAMACHA scores than the other groups, and PCV was lower on the last day of sampling than the first day of sampling in all groups. The results of Experiment 2 also support our hypothesis that alpacas are less susceptible to H. contortus infection than sheep. However, it is unclear whether the differences are the result of physiological stomach differences between host species or whether other factors, such as immunity or parasite strain are important. / Master of Science

Les insectes hématophages impactent sur la santé humaine et animale par la nuisance et l’allergie induite par la piqûre ou par leur risque de transmission d’agents pathogènes. Les étudier permet de mieux prévenir, gérer ou traiter l’ensemble des pathologies induites. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons étudié deux insectes que sont la punaise de lit et le phlébotome.- Pour les punaises de lit une revue de la littérature sur les méthodes d'élevage a été rédigée. Nous avons déterminé deux aspects que sont les facteurs physiques (température, humidité relative, photopériode) et physiologiques (type, fréquence des repas) à prendre en considération. Un travail de terrain de recueil de spécimens a permis d’étudier la génétique des spécimens par localités et d’évaluer le portage de pathogènes notamment la bactérie Wolbachia sp.- Pour le phlébotome, un élevage de l’espèce Phlebotomus perniciosus a été mis en place permettant d'évaluer deux modèles infectieux expérimentaux à Leishmania infantum sur souris BALB/c et sur gorgeur artificiel. Des captures de terrain ont été réalisées et une étude de la génétique de population de Phlebotomus ariasi a été publiée. Une revue de la littérature sur les principaux événements historiques et évolutifs des Leishmanies, des phlébotomes et des réservoirs animaux associés a été publiée.- Dans le cadre de cette thèse nous avons collaboré à un nouveau mode d’identification des diptères hématophages (dépôt d’un brevet).- Au cours de ces 3 années de thèse, nos activités entomologiques hospitalières ont permis la description de cas entomologiques originaux.Cette thèse a fait l'objet d'une bourse CIFRE financée par les Laboratoires VIRBAC. / Bloodsucking insects have an impact on the human and animal health particularly for the risk of pathogens transmission and the nuisance caused by their bite. To have knowledge on these insects can help and apply to prevent, manage or treat the diseases. In this thesis, we mainly focused on two insects: bedbugs and sandflies.- For bedbug, a literature review was carried out to classify the published data demonstrating preferred bedbug colony conditions. We showed that physical factors (temperature, relative humidity, photoperiod), and physiological factors (type, frequency of blood meals) play important roles in the laboratory colonies. A huge number of Cimex lectularius species was sampled from infested regions to study the spatial genetic structure and restricted gene flow in bed bugs in France and to evaluate the symbiotic flora including Wolbachia bacteria.- For sandfly, Phlebotomus perniciosus species was colonized for experimental infections by Leishmania infantum using murine model and artificial feeder. A local sandfly sampling was carried out in the rural regions of Nice city and were served in a study targeting the genetic population structure of Phlebotomus ariasi. Moreover, a historical study was conducted on the classification, evolution and dispersion of Leishmania parasites, sandflies and animals reservoirs.- A new identification method of bloodsucking Diptera was invented (submitted patent).- Thanks to the hospital-entomological activities, an original case report of phthiriasis on an old person was reported.- During this thesis with a scholarship CIFRE funded by Virbac Laboratories, I succeeded tosubmit and publish 7 articles and 1 patent.

Phlebotomine sandflies are blood sucking Dipteran and important vectors of various patogens, especially leishmania parasites (Trypanosomatida, Leishmaniinae). Apart from the genus Leishmania they also transmit variety of other parasites and they are considered to be vectors of trypanosomes (genus Trypanosoma) and hosts of some monoxenous trypanosomatids. This Master thesis is focused on the occurrence and development of mono- and dixenous trypanosomatids (other than the genus Leishmania) in sandflies. We studied experimental infections of various species of sandflies and mosquitoes by two species of trypanosomes and one species of monoxenous parasite (Strigomonas galati). All three studied trypanosomatid species were isolated from sandflies. Further concern of the thesis is the transmission of both species of trypanosomes from sandflies to vertebrate hosts and the transmission of monoxenous parasite between insect hosts and also morphological changes of parasite cells during the development in a culture and in the insect and vertebrate hosts.

L'étude des interactions hôtes/parasites est actuellement un thème de recherche incontournable des sciences de l'évolution. Une des questions majeures soulevée par ces études est de comprendre pourquoi certains parasites provoquent des maladies mortelles, alors que d'autres restent relativement bénins pour leurs hôtes. Dans ce défi que tentent de relever les biologistes de l’évolution mais également les sciences médicales, nous avons choisi de nous intéresser à la malaria aviaire, et plus précisément à son représentant le plus commun dans les populations naturelles d’oiseaux : Plasmodium relictum. En procédant à des infections expérimentales de canaris domestiques (Serinus canaria), nous avons voulu comprendre quels facteurs liés aux caractéristiques du parasite et de l’oiseau (au niveau de l’individu ou de la population) pouvaient influencer la virulence de Plasmodium relictum. Nous avons ainsi pu mettre en évidence que des facteurs, tels que le passé infectieux de l’hôte, la dose de parasites reçue, la prévalence de ces derniers dans la population d’oiseaux ou bien encore les interactions sociales entre individus, pouvaient moduler les coûts d’une telle infection. La virulence est un trait composite qui dépend, certes, de l’exploitation de l’hôte par les parasites mais également de la réponse immunitaire de ce dernier contre l’infection. Nous avons pu le vérifier dans notre système expérimental en utilisant une approche immuno-écologique. Nous nous sommes enfin intéressée aux conditions favorisant l’évolution de la virulence : ce qui est essentiel pour comprendre l’émergence ou la réémergence de maladies infectieuses et pour développer des stratégies de contrôle de ces maladies. / Host-parasite interaction became one of the main topics of evolutionary sciences researches. One of the major issues raised by these studies is to understand why some parasites cause fatal diseases while others remain relatively mild to their hosts. In this challenge attempting to take up the evolutionary biologist and the medical sciences, we focused on avian malaria, and more specifically on its most common parasite: Plasmodium relictum. In performing experimental infections in domestic canaries (Serinus canaria), we wanted to understand what factors related to parasite and birds characteristics, could influence Plasmodium relictum virulence. We highlighted that factors such as infectious past, parasites dose, prevalence in bird’s population and social interactions between individuals could modulate costs of such infection. Virulence is a composite trait that depends on the host’s exploitation by parasites but also the host’s immune response against the infection. We were able to show that in our experimental system using an approach of immunological ecology. Finally we focused on the conditions favouring the virulence evolution: an essential point to understand emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases and to develop strategies to control these diseases.