Data from: Age-related parasite load and longevity patterns in the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

We report the results from a nine-year study on parasite infection in males of a small migrant passerine, the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus. Every year, for each male caught during territory establishment we estimated infection intensity of two lineages of Haemoproteus belopolskyi (SW1 and SW3), using molecular methods. We found a significant relationship between infection intensity and males’ longevity in both studied lineages. There was severe mortality of second-year sedge warblers after their first breeding season, with lower parasite load in survivors. The lower infection intensity in older age classes was related to between-individual change in both lineages, but was also a result of differences in infection intensity during the lifetime of individual males in the SW3. The relation between parasite load and longevity suggests that parasite load may be an age-dependent factor influencing individual survival.

本研究报道了一项为期九年的针对小型迁徙鸣禽雄性个体的寄生虫感染研究结果，研究对象为芦莺（sedge warbler，学名*Acrocephalus schoenobaenus*）。每年，我们针对在领地建立阶段被捕获的雄性芦莺，采用分子生物学方法估算了贝氏血变虫（Haemoproteus belopolskyi）的两个谱系（SW1与SW3）的感染强度。研究发现，在两个被考察的血变虫谱系中，感染强度与雄性芦莺的寿命均存在显著关联。首繁殖季结束后，出生次年的芦莺出现了较高的死亡率，且存活个体的寄生虫负荷更低。高龄年龄组个体较低的感染强度，既与两个谱系的个体间感染强度变化相关，同时也是SW3谱系中雄性个体生命周期内感染强度差异的结果。寄生虫负荷与寿命之间的关联提示，寄生虫负荷可能是一种影响个体存活的年龄依赖性因素。