Beyond troubled waters: the influence of eutrophication on host–parasite interactions

Summary Recent research in biomedicine and in ecology has linked disease emergence and resurgence with human‐induced environmental change. Water bodies, in particular, have dramatically changed during the past century due to artificial enrichment of nutrients from diverse sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry, waste discharges). A growing number of studies, reviewed in this synthesis, highlights how these alterations are tightly linked to changes in host–parasite interactions and impact wildlife health. Direct responses of aquatic ecosystems to the disturbance include changes in the community of primary producers and cause indirect responses such as turbidity, oxygen depletion and foodweb alteration; a phenomenon known as anthropogenic eutrophication. Ultimately, eutrophication causes a wide range of effects on host–parasite interactions which should all be considered to predict infection probability and outcome in disturbed areas. Future research should encompass a more fundamental and holistic view of eutrophication, considering altogether the multitude of environmental changes encountered in eutrophied sites. Stronger collaborations among disease biologists and aquatic ecologists are necessary to better understand and manage wildlife health at impacted water bodies. A lay summary is available for this article.