1
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Marcolin L, Tonelli A, Di Marco M. Early-stage loss of ecological integrity drives the risk of zoonotic disease emergence. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20230733. [PMID: 38863350 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic pressures have increasingly disrupted the integrity of ecosystems worldwide, jeopardizing their capacity to provide essential contributions to human well-being. Recently, the role of natural ecosystems in reducing disease emergence risk has gained prominence in decision-making processes, as scientific evidence indicates that human-driven pressure, such as habitat destruction and deforestation, can trigger the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases. However, the intricate relationship between biodiversity and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) remains only partially understood. Here, we updated the most comprehensive zoonotic EID event database with the latest reported events to analyse the relationship between EIDs of wildlife origin (zoonoses) and various facets of ecological integrity. We found EID risk was strongly predicted by structural integrity metrics such as human footprint and ecoregion intactness, in addition to environmental variables such as tropical rainforest density and mammal species richness. EID events were more likely to occur in areas with intermediate levels of compositional and structural integrity, underscoring the risk posed by human encroachment into pristine, undisturbed lands. Our study highlights the need to identify novel indicators and targets that can effectively address EID risk alongside other pressing global challenges in sustainable development, ultimately informing strategies for preserving both human and environmental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Marcolin
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza Università di Roma , Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Tonelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza Università di Roma , Rome, Italy
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza Università di Roma , Rome, Italy
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2
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Yun SH, Lee DY, Lee J, Mariano E, Choi Y, Park J, Han D, Kim JS, Hur SJ. Current Research, Industrialization Status, and Future Perspective of Cultured Meat. Food Sci Anim Resour 2024; 44:326-355. [PMID: 38764517 PMCID: PMC11097034 DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2024.e13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Expectations for the industrialization of cultured meat are growing due to the increasing support from various sectors, such as the food industry, animal welfare organizations, and consumers, particularly vegetarians, but the progress of industrialization is slower than initially reported. This review analyzes the main issues concerning the industrialization of cultured meat, examines research and media reports on the development of cultured meat to date, and presents the current technology, industrialization level, and prospects for cultured meat. Currently, over 30 countries have companies industrializing cultured meat, and around 200 companies that are developing or industrializing cultured meat have been surveyed globally. By country, the United States has over 50 companies, accounting for more than 20% of the total. Acquiring animal cells, developing cell lines, improving cell proliferation, improving the efficiency of cell differentiation and muscle production, or developing cell culture media, including serum-free media, are the major research themes related to the development of cultured meat. In contrast, the development of devices, such as bioreactors, which are crucial in enabling large-scale production, is relatively understudied, and few of the many companies invested in the development of cultured meat have presented products for sale other than prototypes. In addition, because most information on key technologies is not publicly available, it is not possible to determine the level of technology in the companies, and it is surmised that the technology of cultured meat-related startups is not high. Therefore, further research and development are needed to promote the full-scale industrialization of cultured meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hyeon Yun
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Da Young Lee
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Juhyun Lee
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Ermie Mariano
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Yeongwoo Choi
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Jinmo Park
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Dahee Han
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Jin Soo Kim
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Sun Jin Hur
- Department of Animal Science and
Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
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3
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Benedek AM, Boeraș I, Lazăr A, Sandu A, Cocîrlea MD, Stănciugelu M, Cic NV, Postolache C. Effects of Season, Habitat, and Host Characteristics on Ectoparasites of Wild Rodents in a Mosaic Rural Landscape. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:304. [PMID: 38254473 PMCID: PMC10812489 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the large number of studies on rodent ectoparasites-most of them vectors of epidemiologically important pathogens-infestation patterns remain poorly understood in various ecological contexts, such as the highly patchy agricultural landscapes. We aimed to relate the infestation of rodents to temporal, habitat, and host variables. We assessed the difference in parasite prevalence and mean abundance depending on host sex, age, and body weight, season, and land use intensity. Furthermore, we analysed the effect of host species abundance and the differential responses of parasites in main and minor host species. The field survey was conducted in a rural landscape in southern Transylvania (Romania) between June and September 2010-2011. We live-trapped small mammals, collected the ticks and fleas, and recorded the presence of lice and mites. Overall, we found the same infestation patterns largely reported in the literature: higher prevalence and mean abundance in heavier adult males, significant seasonality and differences among host species, and evidence of the dilution effect. The uniqueness of our study system was the negative effect of the land use intensity on the prevalence and mean abundance of parasites, explained by the highly patchy mosaic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Benedek
- Doctoral School in Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (A.S.); (C.P.)
- Faculty of Sciences, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550012 Sibiu, Romania;
| | - Ioana Boeraș
- Faculty of Sciences, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550012 Sibiu, Romania;
| | - Anamaria Lazăr
- Faculty of Food and Tourism, Transylvania University of Braşov, 500036 Brașov, Romania;
| | - Alexandra Sandu
- Doctoral School in Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (A.S.); (C.P.)
| | - Maria Denisa Cocîrlea
- Department of Agricultural Sciences and Food Engineering, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550012 Sibiu, Romania;
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies and Research, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
| | - Maria Stănciugelu
- Brukenthal National Museum, Natural History Museum, 550163 Sibiu, Romania;
| | | | - Carmen Postolache
- Doctoral School in Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (A.S.); (C.P.)
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4
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Wu XL, Mu DP, Yang QS, Zhang Y, Li YC, Feijó A, Cheng JL, Wen ZX, Lu L, Xia L, Zhou ZJ, Qu YH, Ge DY. Comparative genomics of widespread and narrow-range white-bellied rats in the Niviventer niviventer species complex sheds light on invasive rodent success. Zool Res 2023; 44:1052-1063. [PMID: 37872006 PMCID: PMC10802109 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation, thus enabling range expansion. In contrast, narrow-range species are confined to restricted geographical areas and are ecologically adapted to narrow environmental conditions, thus limiting their ability to expand into novel environments. However, the genomic mechanisms underlying the differentiation between closely related species with varying distribution ranges remain poorly understood. The Niviventer niviventer species complex (NNSC), consisting of highly abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China, offers an excellent opportunity to investigate these questions due to the presence of both widespread and narrow-range species that are phylogenetically closely related. In the present study, we combined ecological niche modeling with phylogenetic analysis, which suggested that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant within the same geographical region. Moreover, by assessing heterozygosity, linkage disequilibrium decay, and Tajima's D analysis, we found that widespread species exhibited higher genetic diversity than narrow-range species. In addition, by exploring the "genomic islands of speciation", we identified 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by the two widespread species, distinguishing them from their narrow-range counterparts. Functional annotation analysis indicated that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation. The adaptive evolution of these genes likely played an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Lai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
- Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interaction, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Dan-Ping Mu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830046, China
| | - Qi-Sen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yu-Chun Li
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Anderson Feijó
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ji-Long Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Xin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liang Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
- Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interaction, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China. E-mail:
| | - Yan-Hua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail:
| | - De-Yan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail:
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5
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García-Moreno J. Zoonoses in a changing world. Bioscience 2023; 73:711-720. [PMID: 37854892 PMCID: PMC10580970 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals are continuously exposed to pathogens but rarely get infected, because pathogens must overcome barriers to establish successful infections. Ongoing planetary changes affect factors relevant for such infections, such as pathogen pressure and pathogen exposure. The replacement of wildlife with domestic animals shrinks the original host reservoirs, whereas expanding agricultural frontiers lead to increased contact between natural and altered ecosystems, increasing pathogen exposure and reducing the area where the original hosts can live. Climate change alters species' distributions and phenology, pathogens included, resulting in exposure to pathogens that have colonized or recolonized new areas. Globalization leads to unwilling movement of and exposure to pathogens. Because people and domestic animals are overdominant planetwide, there is increased selective pressure for pathogens to infect them. Nature conservation measures can slow down but not fully prevent spillovers. Additional and enhanced surveillance methods in potential spillover hotspots should improve early detection and allow swifter responses to emerging outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime García-Moreno
- Vogelbescherming Nederland, Zeist, Netherlands
- BirdLife, the Netherlands
- ESiLi, Arnhem, the Netherlands
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6
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Ceballos G, Ehrlich PR. Mutilation of the tree of life via mass extinction of animal genera. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306987120. [PMID: 37722053 PMCID: PMC10523489 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306987120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass extinctions during the past 500 million y rapidly removed branches from the phylogenetic tree of life and required millions of years for evolution to generate functional replacements for the extinct (EX) organisms. Here we show, by examining 5,400 vertebrate genera (excluding fishes) comprising 34,600 species, that 73 genera became EX since 1500 AD. Beyond any doubt, the human-driven sixth mass extinction is more severe than previously assessed and is rapidly accelerating. The current generic extinction rates are 35 times higher than expected background rates prevailing in the last million years under the absence of human impacts. The genera lost in the last five centuries would have taken some 18,000 y to vanish in the absence of human beings. Current generic extinction rates will likely greatly accelerate in the next few decades due to drivers accompanying the growth and consumption of the human enterprise such as habitat destruction, illegal trade, and climate disruption. If all now-endangered genera were to vanish by 2,100, extinction rates would be 354 (average) or 511 (for mammals) times higher than background rates, meaning that genera lost in three centuries would have taken 106,000 and 153,000 y to become EX in the absence of humans. Such mutilation of the tree of life and the resulting loss of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity to humanity is a serious threat to the stability of civilization. Immediate political, economic, and social efforts of an unprecedented scale are essential if we are to prevent these extinctions and their societal impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Ceballos
- Departamento de Ecologia de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tercer Circuito Exterior SN, C.U., 04510Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Paul R. Ehrlich
- Department of Biology, Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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7
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Losapio G, Genes L, Knight CJ, McFadden TN, Pavan L. Monitoring and modelling the effects of ecosystem engineers on ecosystem functioning. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Biosciences University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Luísa Genes
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | | | - Tyler N. McFadden
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Lucas Pavan
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
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8
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She W, Gu J, Holyoak M, Yan C, Qi J, Wan X, Liu S, Xu L, Roberts NJ, Zhang Z, Jiang G. Impacts of top predators and humans on the mammal communities of recovering temperate forest regions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160812. [PMID: 36493822 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Top predators are important drivers in shaping ecological community structure via top-down effects. However, the ecological consequences and mechanisms of top predator loss under accelerated human impacts have rarely been quantitatively assessed due to the limited availability of long-term community data. With increases in top predator populations in northern China over the past two decades, forests with varying densities of top predators and humans provide an opportunity to study their ecological effects on mammal communities. We hypothesized a priori of conceptual models and tested these using structural equation models (SEMs) with multi-year camera trap data, aiming to reveal the underlying independent ecological effects of top predators (tigers, bears, and leopards) and humans on mammal communities. We used random forest models and correlations among species pairs to validate results. We found that top predator reduction could be related to augmented populations of large ungulates ("large ungulate release") and mesopredators ("mesopredator release"), consistent with observations of mammal communities in other ecosystems. Additionally, top predator reduction could be related to reduced small mammal abundance. Hierarchical SEMs identified three bottom-up pathways from forest quality to human activities, large ungulates, and some small mammals, and five top-down pathways from human activities and top predators to some small mammals, large ungulates, and mesopredators. Furthermore, our results suggest that humans showed predominant top-down effects on multiple functional groups, partially replacing the role of top predators, rather than be mediated by them; effects of humans and top predators appeared largely independent. Effects of humans on top predators were non-significant. This study provides novel insights into the effects of top predators and humans as super-predators on mammal communities in forest ecosystems and presents cues of bottom-up effects that can be translated into actionable management plans for improving forest quality, thereby supporting top predator recovery and work/life activities of local people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen She
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Jiayin Gu
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Chuan Yan
- Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jinzhe Qi
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xinru Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shuyan Liu
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Nathan James Roberts
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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9
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Bergstrom BJ, Scruggs SB, Vieira EM. Tropical savanna small mammals respond to loss of cover following disturbance: A global review of field studies. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1017361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-mammal faunas of tropical savannas consist of endemic assemblages of murid rodents, small marsupials, and insectivores on four continents. Small mammals in tropical savannas are understudied compared to other tropical habitats and other taxonomic groups (e.g., Afrotropical megafauna or Neotropical rainforest mammals). Their importance as prey, ecosystem engineers, disease reservoirs, and declining members of endemic biodiversity in tropical savannas compels us to understand the factors that regulate their abundance and diversity. We reviewed field studies published in the last 35 years that examined, mostly experimentally, the effects of varying three primary endogenous disturbances in tropical savanna ecosystems—fire, large mammalian herbivory (LMH), and drought—on abundance and diversity of non-volant small mammals. These disturbances are most likely to affect habitat structure (cover or concealment), food availability, or both, for ground-dwelling small mammalian herbivores, omnivores, and insectivores. Of 63 studies (included in 55 published papers) meeting these criteria from the Afrotropics, Neotropics, and northern Australia (none was found from southern Asia), 29 studies concluded that small mammals responded (mostly negatively) to a loss of cover (mostly from LMH and fire); four found evidence of increased predation on small mammals in lower-cover treatments (e.g., grazed or burned). Eighteen studies concluded a combination of food- and cover-limitation explained small-mammal responses to endogenous disturbances. Only two studies concluded small-mammal declines in response to habitat-altering disturbance were caused by food limitation and not related to cover reduction. Evidence to date indicates that abundance and richness of small savanna mammals, in general (with important exceptions), is enhanced by vegetative cover (especially tall grass, but sometimes shrub cover) as refugia for these prey species amid a “landscape of fear,” particularly for diurnal, non-cursorial, and non-fossorial species. These species have been called “decreasers” in response to cover reduction, whereas a minority of small-mammal species have been shown to be “increasers” or disturbance-tolerant. Complex relationships between endogenous disturbances and small-mammal food resources are important secondary factors, but only six studies manipulated or measured food resources simultaneous to habitat manipulations. While more such studies are needed, designing effective ones for cryptic consumer communities of omnivorous dietary opportunists is a significant challenge.
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Banda A, Gandiwa E, Muposhi VK, Muboko N. Ecological interactions, local people awareness and practices on rodent-borne diseases in Africa: A review. Acta Trop 2023; 238:106743. [PMID: 36343664 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Several anthropogenic activities exposure humans to the risk of rodent-borne diseases. These activities are but not limited to logging, clearing land for crop cultivation, and consuming rodents. Rodents are a highly diverse mammalian group and harbor many zoonotic diseases. This review focuses on dominant rodent-flea species, rodent-borne zoonotic diseases and awareness and management practices against rodent-borne diseases in Africa. Relevant academic literature spanning from 1974 to 2021 was analysed. Dominant rodent species reported in Africa included:- Mastomys natalensis and Rattus rattus, while dominant flea species included Xenopsylla brasiliensis and Xenopsylla cheopis. Rodents were reported as hosts to a wide range of parasites which can be passed to humans. Rodents were also reported as hosts to some protozoans, trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, bacteria and viruses which are transmissible to humans. Some studies conducted in West Africa revealed good knowledge and practices on plague and Lassa fever diseases among respondents, whereas other studies reported poor practices on Lassa fever management. In part of Southern Africa, some studies reported poor knowledge and practices on plague disease. Further research on rodent-borne disease awareness and management strategies in African countries is desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Banda
- Department of Crop Science, Gwanda State University, P.O. Box 30, Filabusi, Zimbabwe; School of Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.
| | - Edson Gandiwa
- Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, P.O. Box CY 140, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Victor K Muposhi
- School of Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe; Department of Wildlife and Aquatic Resources, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Never Muboko
- School of Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe; Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, P.O. Box CY 140, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
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11
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Juhas M. Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases. BRIEF LESSONS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2023:111-122. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-29544-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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12
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Juhas M. Future Pandemics. BRIEF LESSONS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2023:135-142. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-29544-7_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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13
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Pires MM, Galetti M. Beyond the “empty forest”: The defaunation syndromes of Neotropical forests in the Anthropocene. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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14
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Falay D, Hardy L, Tanzito J, Lunguya O, Bonebe E, Peeters M, Mattheus W, Van Geet C, Verheyen E, Akaibe D, Katuala P, Ngbonda D, Weill FX, Pardos de la Gandara M, Jacobs J. Urban rats as carriers of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 313, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010740. [PMID: 36067238 PMCID: PMC9481155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS-mainly serotypes Enteritidis and Typhimurium) are major causes of bloodstream infections in children in sub-Saharan Africa, but their reservoir remains unknown. We assessed iNTS carriage in rats in an urban setting endemic for iNTS carriage and compared genetic profiles of iNTS from rats with those isolated from humans. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS From April 2016 to December 2018, rats were trapped in five marketplaces and a slaughterhouse in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo. After euthanasia, blood, liver, spleen, and rectal content were cultured for Salmonella. Genetic relatedness between iNTS from rats and humans-obtained from blood cultures at Kisangani University Hospital-was assessed with multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core-genome MLST (cgMLST). 1650 live-capture traps yielded 566 (34.3%) rats (95.6% Rattus norvegicus, 4.4% Rattus rattus); 46 (8.1%) of them carried Salmonella, of which 13 had more than one serotype. The most common serotypes were II.42:r:- (n = 18 rats), Kapemba (n = 12), Weltevreden and Typhimurium (n = 10, each), and Dublin (n = 8). Salmonella Typhimurium belonged to MLST ST19 (n = 7 rats) and the invasive ST313 (n = 3, isolated from deep organs but not from rectal content). Sixteen human S. Typhimurium isolates (all ST313) were available for comparison: MLVA and cgMLST revealed two distinct rat-human clusters involving both six human isolates, respectively, i.e. in total 12/16 human ST313 isolates. All ST313 Typhimurium isolates from rats and humans clustered with the ST313 Lineage 2 isolates and most were multidrug resistant; the remaining isolates from rats including S. Typhimurium ST19 were pan-susceptible. CONCLUSION The present study provides evidence of urban rats as potential reservoirs of S. Typhimurium ST313 in an iNTS endemic area in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dadi Falay
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Liselotte Hardy
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jacques Tanzito
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Octavie Lunguya
- Department of Medical Biology, National Institute for Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Microbiology, University Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Edmonde Bonebe
- Department of Medical Biology, National Institute for Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Marjan Peeters
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wesley Mattheus
- Sciensano, Infectious Diseases in Humans, Bacterial Diseases, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chris Van Geet
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Pediatrics, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erik Verheyen
- OD Taxonomy & Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dudu Akaibe
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Pionus Katuala
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Dauly Ngbonda
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - François-Xavier Weill
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité des bactéries pathogènes entériques, Paris, France
| | | | - Jan Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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15
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Robles-Fernández ÁL, Santiago-Alarcon D, Lira-Noriega A. Wildlife susceptibility to infectious diseases at global scales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122851119. [PMID: 35994656 PMCID: PMC9436312 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122851119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease transmission prediction across wildlife is crucial for risk assessment of emerging infectious diseases. Susceptibility of host species to pathogens is influenced by the geographic, environmental, and phylogenetic context of the specific system under study. We used machine learning to analyze how such variables influence pathogen incidence for multihost pathogen assemblages, including one of direct transmission (coronaviruses and bats) and two vector-borne systems (West Nile Virus [WNV] and birds, and malaria and birds). Here we show that this methodology is able to provide reliable global spatial susceptibility predictions for the studied host-pathogen systems, even when using a small amount of incidence information (i.e., [Formula: see text] of information in a database). We found that avian malaria was mostly affected by environmental factors and by an interaction between phylogeny and geography, and WNV susceptibility was mostly influenced by phylogeny and by the interaction between geographic and environmental distances, whereas coronavirus susceptibility was mostly affected by geography. This approach will help to direct surveillance and field efforts providing cost-effective decisions on where to invest limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel L. Robles-Fernández
- Facultad de Física, Universidad Veracruzana, 91000 Xalapa, México
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | | | - Andrés Lira-Noriega
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., 91073 Xalapa, México
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16
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Abstract
Bats perform important ecological roles in our ecosystem. However, recent studies have demonstrated that bats are reservoirs of emerging viruses that have spilled over into humans and agricultural animals to cause severe diseases. These viruses include Hendra and Nipah paramyxoviruses, Ebola and Marburg filoviruses, and coronaviruses that are closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2. Intriguingly, bats that are naturally or experimentally infected with these viruses do not show clinical signs of disease. Here we have reviewed ecological, behavioral, and molecular factors that may influence the ability of bats to harbor viruses. We have summarized known zoonotic potential of bat-borne viruses and stress on the need for further studies to better understand the evolutionary relationship between bats and their viruses, along with discovering the intrinsic and external factors that facilitate the successful spillover of viruses from bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Gonzalez
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Arinjay Banerjee
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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17
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Viteri MC, Hadly EA. Spatiotemporal impacts of the Anthropocene on small mammal communities, and the role of small biological preserves in maintaining biodiversity. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.916239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The multi-faceted impacts of the Anthropocene are increasingly modifying natural ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. Can small protected spaces conserve small mammal diversity across spatial and temporal scales of human impact? We identified small mammal remains from modern raptor pellets and Holocene archeological sites along a human modification gradient in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA and evaluated alpha and beta diversity across sites and time periods. We found that Shannon diversity, standardized species richness, and evenness decrease across modern sites based on level of human modification, with no corresponding change between Holocene sites. Additionally, the alpha diversity of modern sites with moderate and high levels of human modification was significantly lower than the diversity of modern sites with low levels of human modification as well as all Holocene sites. On the other hand, the small mammal communities from Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, a small protected area, retain Holocene levels of alpha diversity. Jasper Ridge has also changed less over time in terms of overall community composition (beta diversity) than more modified sites. Despite this, Holocene and Anthropocene communities are distinct regardless of study area. Our results suggest that small mammal communities today are fundamentally different from even a few centuries ago, but that even relatively small protected spaces can partially conserve native faunal communities, highlighting their important role in urban conservation.
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18
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Arden K, Gedye K, Angelin-Bonnet O, Murphy E, Antic D. Yersinia enterocolitica in wild and peridomestic rodents within Great Britain, a prevalence study. Zoonoses Public Health 2022; 69:537-549. [PMID: 35343069 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is a human pathogen transmitted via the faecal-oral route among animals and humans and is a major foodborne public health hazard. This study explores the role of Y. enterocolitica transmission at the livestock-wildlife interface and investigates the potential role wild and peridomestic rodents play as a source of this zoonotic pathogen. The total of 342 faecal samples collected from the seven rodent species and one insectivore was examined using an optimized protocol to culture and identify Y. enterocolitica. Positive samples were also bioserotyped for grouping and determination of sample pathogenicity. Wildlife species sampled in this study were separated into two sample groups: randomly sampled (brown rats, house mice, wood mice, bank voles, field voles and the common shrew), as well as targeted sampling (red and grey squirrels). The overall prevalence of Y. enterocolitica in the randomly sampled population was 3.73%. Brown rats were chosen as sentinel species and tested to determine if location (pig farm vs non-pig farm) was a significant factor affecting Y. enterocolitica prevalence. In this study, location was not significant. All positive samples were found to be of biotype 1A, deemed non-pathogenic. Three of the samples were serotype 09, six were serotype 27 and five had an unidentifiable serotype. This study represents the first time Y. enterocolitica has been identified in these species of wildlife within mainland Britain. In addition, this study's findings are entirely novel and overall with regard to field voles and common shrews. However, the role of wild and peridomestic rodents in the transmission of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica remains unknown, as this study was unable to detect the presence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Arden
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kristene Gedye
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Ellen Murphy
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Dragan Antic
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
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19
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Wegner GI, Murray KA, Springmann M, Muller A, Sokolow SH, Saylors K, Morens DM. Averting wildlife-borne infectious disease epidemics requires a focus on socio-ecological drivers and a redesign of the global food system. EClinicalMedicine 2022; 47:101386. [PMID: 35465645 PMCID: PMC9014132 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A debate has emerged over the potential socio-ecological drivers of wildlife-origin zoonotic disease outbreaks and emerging infectious disease (EID) events. This Review explores the extent to which the incidence of wildlife-origin infectious disease outbreaks, which are likely to include devastating pandemics like HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, may be linked to excessive and increasing rates of tropical deforestation for agricultural food production and wild meat hunting and trade, which are further related to contemporary ecological crises such as global warming and mass species extinction. Here we explore a set of precautionary responses to wildlife-origin zoonosis threat, including: (a) limiting human encroachment into tropical wildlands by promoting a global transition to diets low in livestock source foods; (b) containing tropical wild meat hunting and trade by curbing urban wild meat demand, while securing access for indigenous people and local communities in remote subsistence areas; and (c) improving biosecurity and other strategies to break zoonosis transmission pathways at the wildlife-human interface and along animal source food supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia I. Wegner
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Unit the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Gambia
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Marco Springmann
- Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, 34 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BD, UK
| | - Adrian Muller
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Sonneggstrasse 33, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Ackerstrasse 113, Frick 5070, Switzerland
| | - Susanne H. Sokolow
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Jerry Yang & Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy Building, MC 4205, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150, USA
| | - Karen Saylors
- Labyrinth Global Health, 15th Ave NE, St Petersburg, FL 33704, USA
| | - David M. Morens
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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20
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Occhibove F, McKeown NJ, Risley C, Ironside JE. Eco-epidemiological screening of multi-host wild rodent communities in the UK reveals pathogen strains of zoonotic interest. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 17:278-287. [PMID: 35309039 PMCID: PMC8927908 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wild rodent communities represent ideal systems to study pathogens and parasites shared among sympatric species. Such studies are useful in the investigation of eco-epidemiological dynamics, improving disease management strategies and reducing zoonotic risk. The aim of this study was to investigate pathogen and parasites shared among rodent species (multi-host community) in West Wales in an area where human/wildlife disease risk was not previously assessed. West Wales is predominantly rural, with human settlements located alongside to grazing areas and semi-natural landscapes, creating a critical human-livestock-wildlife interface. Ground-dwelling wild rodent communities in Wales were live-trapped and biological samples - faeces and ectoparasites - collected and screened for a suite of pathogens and parasites that differ in types of transmission and ecology. Faecal samples were examined to detect Herpesvirus, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium microti. Ticks and fleas were collected, identified to species based on morphology and genetic barcodes, and then screened for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Bartonella sp. All the pathogens and parasites screened pose a characteristic epidemiological challenge, such as variable level of generalism, unknown zoonotic potential, and lack of data. The results showed that the bank vole Myodes glareolus had the highest prevalence of all pathogens and parasites. Higher flea species diversity was detected than in previous studies, and at least two Bartonella species were found circulating, one of which has not previously been detected in the UK. These key findings offer new insights into the distribution of selected pathogen and parasites and subsequent zoonotic risk, and provide new baselines and perspectives for further eco-epidemiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Occhibove
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | | | - Claire Risley
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK
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21
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Occhibove F, Kenobi K, Swain M, Risley C. An eco-epidemiological modeling approach to investigate dilution effect in two different tick-borne pathosystems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2550. [PMID: 35092122 PMCID: PMC9286340 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Disease (re)emergence appears to be driven by biodiversity decline and environmental change. As a result, it is increasingly important to study host-pathogen interactions within the context of their ecology and evolution. The dilution effect is the concept that higher biodiversity decreases pathogen transmission. It has been observed especially in zoonotic vector-borne pathosystems, yet evidence against it has been found. In particular, it is still debated how the community (dis)assembly assumptions and the degree of generalism of vectors and pathogens affect the direction of the biodiversity-pathogen transmission relationship. The aim of this study was to use empirical data and mechanistic models to investigate dilution mechanisms in two rodent-tick-pathogen systems differing in their vector degree of generalism. A community was assembled to include ecological interactions that expand from purely additive to purely substitutive. Such systems are excellent candidates to analyze the link between vector ecology, community (dis)assembly dynamics, and pathogen transmission. To base our mechanistic models on empirical data, rodent live-trapping, including tick sampling, was conducted in Wales across two seasons for three consecutive years. We have developed a deterministic single-vector, multi-host compartmental model that includes ecological relationships with non-host species, uniquely integrating theoretical and observational approaches. To describe pathogen transmission across a gradient of community diversity, the model was populated with parameters describing five different scenarios differing in ecological complexity; each based around one of the pathosystems: Ixodes ricinus (generalist tick)-Borrelia burgdorferi and I. trianguliceps (small mammals specialist tick)-Babesia microti. The results suggested that community composition and interspecific dynamics affected pathogen transmission with different dilution outcomes depending on the vector degree of generalism. The model provides evidence that dilution and amplification effects are not mutually exclusive in the same community but depend on vector ecology and the epidemiological output considered (i.e., the "risk" of interest). In our scenarios, more functionally diverse communities resulted in fewer infectious rodents, supporting the dilution effect. In the pathosystem with generalist vector we identified a hump shaped relationship between diversity and infections in hosts, while for that characterized by specialist tick, this relationship was more complex and more dependent upon specific parameter values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Occhibove
- IBERS, Aberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
- UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyWallingfordUK
| | - Kim Kenobi
- Department of MathematicsAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
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22
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Suu-Ire R, Obodai E, Bel-Nono SO, Ampofo WK, Mazet JAK, Goldstein T, Johnson CK, Smith B, Boaatema L, Asigbee TW, Awuni J, Opoku E, Kelly TR. Surveillance for potentially zoonotic viruses in rodent and bat populations and behavioral risk in an agricultural settlement in Ghana. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2022; 4:6. [PMID: 35256013 PMCID: PMC8901269 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-022-00061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Ghana, the conversion of land to agriculture, especially across the vegetative belt has resulted in fragmented forest landscapes with increased interactions among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. METHODS We investigated viruses in bats and rodents, key reservoir hosts for zoonotic viral pathogens, in a small agricultural community in the vegetation belt of Ghana. We also administered questionnaires among the local community members to learn more about people's awareness and perceptions of zoonotic disease risks and the environmental factors and types of activities in which they engage that might influence pathogen transmission from wildlife. RESULTS Our study detected the RNA from paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses in rodents and bats, including sequences from novel viruses with unknown zoonotic potential. Samples collected from Epomophorus gambianus bats were significantly more likely to be positive for coronavirus RNA during the rainy season, when higher numbers of young susceptible individuals are present in the population. Almost all community members who responded to the questionnaire reported contact with wildlife, especially bats, rodents, and non-human primates in and around their homes and in the agricultural fields. Over half of the respondents were not aware or did not perceive any zoonotic disease risks associated with close contact with animals, such as harvesting and processing animals for food. To address gaps in awareness and mitigation strategies for pathogen transmission risks, we organized community education campaigns using risk reduction and outreach tools focused around living safely with bats and rodents. CONCLUSIONS These findings expand our knowledge of the viruses circulating in bats and rodents in Ghana and of the beliefs, perceptions, and practices that put community members at risk of zoonotic virus spillover through direct and indirect contact with bats and rodents. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement in research and interventions focused on mitigating risk and living safely with wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Suu-Ire
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Evangeline Obodai
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Samuel Otis Bel-Nono
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
- Military Veterinarian (Rtd), P.O. Box CT2585, Accra, Ghana
| | - William Kwabena Ampofo
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jonna A K Mazet
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tracey Goldstein
- Zoological Pathology Program, c/o Chicago Zoological Society, 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield, IL, 60513, USA
| | - Christine Kreuder Johnson
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brett Smith
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Linda Boaatema
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Joseph Awuni
- Accra Veterinary Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Ring Road East, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eric Opoku
- Ghana Health Service, 28th February Road, Accra, Ghana
| | - Terra R Kelly
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA.
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23
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Ectoparasite load of small mammals in the Serengeti Ecosystem: effects of land use, season, host species, age, sex and breeding status. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:823-838. [PMID: 35122139 PMCID: PMC8858283 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07439-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ectoparasite load in small mammals can be influenced by both environmental conditions and host species characteristics. However, the nature of these influences is poorly understood in many ecosystems. We used zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression models with a log link function to assess variation in ectoparasite load among 19 small mammal host species across different land uses (protection in a park, pastoralism and agriculture), habitat types, seasons, age classes, sexes and breeding statuses. We collected 4258 ectoparasites from 612 individual belonging to 19 different species of small mammals. The average ectoparasite load per individual was higher in the pastoral and agricultural lands than in the National Park. Ectoparasite load varied among species and was the highest for the four common and generalist small mammal species (Aethomys sp., Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys natalensis, and Gerbilliscus vicinus), most notably in the disturbed pastoral and agricultural lands. It was also higher in the dry than the wet season and for adult males than adult females. These patterns partly reflect the greater mobility of small mammals in the drier conditions; in addition the large body size and home range of males increase the likelihood of encountering parasites. Human disturbance was associated with elevated ectoparasitic load among the small mammals and hence elevated risk of transmission of ectoparasites to humans. As a result, understanding the effect of habitat disturbance on ectoparasite load and its link to zoonotic disease risk should be an important conservation goal and public health priority. Moreover, effective pest control strategies should consider variation in ectoparasite load with land use, habitat type, season and species characteristics.
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24
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Espira LM, Brouwer AF, Han BA, Foufopoulos J, Eisenberg JNS. Dilution of Epidemic Potential of Environmentally Transmitted Infectious Diseases for Species with Partially Overlapping Habitats. Am Nat 2022; 199:E43-E56. [PMID: 35077275 PMCID: PMC9136953 DOI: 10.1086/717413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSpecies diversity may play an important role in the modulation of pathogen transmission through the dilution effect. Infectious disease models can help elucidate mechanisms that may underlie this effect. While many modeling studies have assumed direct host-to-host transmission, many pathogens are transmitted through the environment. We present a mathematical modeling analysis exploring conditions under which we observe the dilution effect in systems with environmental transmission where host species interact through fully or partially overlapping habitats. We measure the strength of the dilution effect by the relative decrease in the basic reproduction number of two-species assemblages compared with that of a focal host species. We find that a dilution effect is most likely when the pathogen is environmentally persistent (frequency-dependent-like transmission). The magnitude of this effect is strongest when the species with the greater epidemic potential is relatively slow to pick up pathogens in the environment (density-dependent transmission) and the species with the lesser epidemic potential is efficient at picking up pathogens (frequency-dependent transmission). These findings suggest that measurable factors, including pathogen persistence and the host's relative efficiency of pathogen pickup, can guide predictions of when biodiversity might lead to a dilution effect and may thus give concrete direction to future ecological work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon M. Espira
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Andrew F. Brouwer
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Barbara A. Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545
| | - Johannes Foufopoulos
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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25
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Rosenthal LM, Brooks WR, Rizzo DM. Species densities, assembly order, and competence jointly determine the diversity–disease relationship. Ecology 2021; 103:e3622. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Rosenthal
- Department of Plant Pathology University of California Davis California USA
- Graduate Group in Ecology University of California Davis California USA
| | | | - David M. Rizzo
- Department of Plant Pathology University of California Davis California USA
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26
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Glidden CK, Nova N, Kain MP, Lagerstrom KM, Skinner EB, Mandle L, Sokolow SH, Plowright RK, Dirzo R, De Leo GA, Mordecai EA. Human-mediated impacts on biodiversity and the consequences for zoonotic disease spillover. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1342-R1361. [PMID: 34637744 PMCID: PMC9255562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Human-mediated changes to natural ecosystems have consequences for both ecosystem and human health. Historically, efforts to preserve or restore 'biodiversity' can seem to be in opposition to human interests. However, the integration of biodiversity conservation and public health has gained significant traction in recent years, and new efforts to identify solutions that benefit both environmental and human health are ongoing. At the forefront of these efforts is an attempt to clarify ways in which biodiversity conservation can help reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover of pathogens from wild animals, sparking epidemics and pandemics in humans and livestock. However, our understanding of the mechanisms by which biodiversity change influences the spillover process is incomplete, limiting the application of integrated strategies aimed at achieving positive outcomes for both conservation and disease management. Here, we review the literature, considering a broad scope of biodiversity dimensions, to identify cases where zoonotic pathogen spillover is mechanistically linked to changes in biodiversity. By reframing the discussion around biodiversity and disease using mechanistic evidence - while encompassing multiple aspects of biodiversity including functional diversity, landscape diversity, phenological diversity, and interaction diversity - we work toward general principles that can guide future research and more effectively integrate the related goals of biodiversity conservation and spillover prevention. We conclude by summarizing how these principles could be used to integrate the goal of spillover prevention into ongoing biodiversity conservation initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole Nova
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Morgan P Kain
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Eloise B Skinner
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Lisa Mandle
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Susanne H Sokolow
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Giulio A De Leo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Erin A Mordecai
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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27
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Rosenthal LM, Simler-Williamson AB, Rizzo DM. Community-level prevalence of a forest pathogen, not individual-level disease risk, declines with tree diversity. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2477-2489. [PMID: 34510681 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding why diversity sometimes limits disease is essential for managing outbreaks; however, mechanisms underlying this 'dilution effect' remain poorly understood. Negative diversity-disease relationships have previously been detected in plant communities impacted by an emerging forest disease, sudden oak death. We used this focal system to empirically evaluate whether these relationships were driven by dilution mechanisms that reduce transmission risk for individuals or from the fact that disease was averaged across the host community. We integrated laboratory competence measurements with plant community and symptom data from a large forest monitoring network. Richness increased disease risk for bay laurel trees, dismissing possible dilution mechanisms. Nonetheless, richness was negatively associated with community-level disease prevalence because the disease was aggregated among hosts that vary in disease susceptibility. Aggregating observations (which is surprisingly common in other dilution effect studies) can lead to misinterpretations of dilution mechanisms and bias towards a negative diversity-disease relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Rosenthal
- Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - David M Rizzo
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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28
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Wikramanayake E, Pfeiffer DU, Magouras I, Conan A, Ziegler S, Bonebrake TC, Olson D. A tool for rapid assessment of wildlife markets in the Asia-Pacific Region for risk of future zoonotic disease outbreaks. One Health 2021; 13:100279. [PMID: 34195344 PMCID: PMC8220562 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of warnings that the trade and consumption of wildlife could result in serious zoonotic pandemics have gone largely unheeded. Now the world is ravaged by COVID-19, with tremendous loss of life, economic and societal disruption, and dire predictions of more destructive and frequent pandemics. There are now calls to tightly regulate and even enact complete wildlife trade bans, while others call for more nuanced approaches since many rural communities rely on wildlife for sustenance. Given pressures from political and societal drivers and resource limitations to enforcing bans, increased regulation is a more likely outcome rather than broad bans. But imposition of tight regulations will require monitoring and assessing trade situations for zoonotic risks. We present a tool for relevant stakeholders, including government authorities in the public health and wildlife sectors, to assess wildlife trade situations for risks of potentially serious zoonoses in order to inform policies to tightly regulate and control the trade, much of which is illegal in most countries. The tool is based on available knowledge of different wildlife taxa traded in the Asia-Pacific Region and known to carry highly virulent and transmissible viruses combined with relative risks associated with different broad categories of market types and trade chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wikramanayake
- WWF Asia-Pacific Counter-Illegal Wildlife Trade Hub (IWT Hub), WWF-Hong Kong, Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Dirk U. Pfeiffer
- Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Ioannis Magouras
- Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Anne Conan
- Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Stefan Ziegler
- WWF-Germany, Taunusanlage 8, 60329 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Timothy C. Bonebrake
- Division for Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - David Olson
- WWF Asia-Pacific Counter-Illegal Wildlife Trade Hub (IWT Hub), WWF-Hong Kong, Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
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29
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Breuer T, Breuer‐Ndoundou Hockemba M, Opepa CK, Yoga S, Mavinga FB. High abundance and large proportion of medium and large duikers in an intact and unhunted afrotropical protected area: Insights into monitoring methods. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Breuer
- Wildlife Conservation Society Global Conservation Program Bronx NY USA
- Mbeli Bai Study Wildlife Conservation Society – Congo Program Brazzaville Congo
| | - Mireille Breuer‐Ndoundou Hockemba
- Mbeli Bai Study Wildlife Conservation Society – Congo Program Brazzaville Congo
- Wildlife Conservation Society ‐ Congo Program Brazzaville Congo
| | | | - Sarah Yoga
- Wildlife Conservation Society ‐ Congo Program Brazzaville Congo
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30
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Otiang E, Chen D, Jiang J, Maina AN, Farris CM, Luce-Fedrow A, Richards AL. Pathogen Carriage by Peri-Domestic Fleas in Western Kenya. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:256-263. [PMID: 33481673 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fleas are carriers for many largely understudied zoonotic, endemic, emerging, and re-emerging infectious disease agents, but little is known about their prevalence and role as a vector in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of fleas and the prevalence of infectious agents in them collected from human dwellings in western Kenya. A total of 306 fleas were collected using light traps from 33 human dwellings; 170 (55.56%) were identified as Ctenocephalides spp., 121 (39.54%) as Echidnophaga gallinacea, 13 (4.25%) as Pulex irritans, and 2 (0.65%) as Xenopsylla cheopis. Of the 306 individual fleas tested, 168 (54.9%) tested positive for rickettsial DNA by a genus-specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay based on the 17-kDa antigen gene. Species-specific qPCR assays and sequencing revealed presence of Rickettsia asembonensis in 166 (54.2%) and Rickettsia felis in 2 (0.7%) fleas. Borrelia burgdorferi, normally known to be carried by ticks, was detected in four (1.3%) flea DNA preparations. We found no evidence of Yersinia pestis, Bartonella spp., or Orientia spp. Not only were Ctenocephalides spp. the most predominant flea species in the human dwellings, but also almost all of them were harboring R. asembonensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elkanah Otiang
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Daniel Chen
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Ju Jiang
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Alice N Maina
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Christina M Farris
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Alison Luce-Fedrow
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.,Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Allen L Richards
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.,Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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31
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Effects of land use, habitat characteristics, and small mammal community composition on Leptospira prevalence in northeast Madagascar. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 14:e0008946. [PMID: 33382723 PMCID: PMC7774828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities can increase or decrease risks of acquiring a zoonotic disease, notably by affecting the composition and abundance of hosts. This study investigated the links between land use and infectious disease risk in northeast Madagascar, where human subsistence activities and population growth are encroaching on native habitats and the associated biota. We collected new data on pathogenic Leptospira, which are bacteria maintained in small mammal reservoirs. Transmission can occur through close contact, but most frequently through indirect contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected hosts. The probability of infection and prevalence was compared across a gradient of natural moist evergreen forest, nearby forest fragments, flooded rice and other types of agricultural fields, and in homes in a rural village. Using these data, we tested specific hypotheses for how land use alters ecological communities and influences disease transmission. The relative abundance and proportion of exotic species was highest in the anthropogenic habitats, while the relative abundance of native species was highest in the forested habitats. Prevalence of Leptospira was significantly higher in introduced compared to endemic species. Lastly, the probability of infection with Leptospira was highest in introduced small mammal species, and lower in forest fragments compared to other habitat types. Our results highlight how human land use affects the small mammal community composition and in turn disease dynamics. Introduced species likely transmit Leptospira to native species where they co-occur, and may displace the Leptospira species naturally occurring in Madagascar. The frequent spatial overlap of people and introduced species likely also has consequences for public health. Many neglected tropical diseases have reservoirs in wildlife. The effects of human activities on wildlife include changes in species abundance, community composition, and the transmission dynamics of parasites. Introduced species, especially black rats (Rattus rattus) are known to transmit zoonotic diseases among wildlife species and people. Leptospira, a water-borne bacterium that infects wildlife and people, is an important pathogen in the tropics, and in Madagascar, multiple strains and hosts have been identified. We tested how land use gradients in a forest-frontier agricultural system affect the composition of small mammal communities, and in turn the prevalence of Leptospira. We investigated 11 species of small mammals, including native rodents and tenrecs, as well as introduced rodents and shrews, in old growth forest, forest fragments, agricultural fields, and in a village. Leptospira prevalence and infection risk were highest in introduced species compared to native species and lower in forest fragments. The results highlight how the introduction of non-native species affects the variation in disease prevalence in small mammals, with potential consequences for spill-over to people.
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32
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Season and habitat affect diversity, abundance and reproductive state of small mammals near Lake Abaya, Ethiopia. MAMMALIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
This study investigated the spatio-temporal association of small mammals in human-modified habitats. Small mammals were sampled using Sherman traps along 200 m transects (with one trap at every 10 m interval) in each of four habitats (cropland, forest patch, scrubland and wetland) replicated twice. Additional trapping was carried out in rural settlements comprising of eight homesteads, with five traps per homestead. Trapping was conducted in three sessions during the agricultural seasons: rainy (October), off-rain (December) and dry (February) over two years (2018 and 2019). In each session, trapping was carried out for three consecutive nights. A total of 497 small mammals belonging to 12 species from four families (Soricidae, Macroscelididae, Gliridae and Muridae) were captured. Murine rodents accounted for 99.4% of the animals with Mastomys erythroleucus (58%) being the dominant species. The scrubland had the highest small mammal species diversity while the cropland had the lowest. M. erythroleucus was not strongly associated with any spatio-temporal parameter and scored majority of seasonally reproducing individuals in the cropland, signifying its pest importance. Though disconnected from protected areas, habitats such as the scrubland harbor diverse small mammal species (including a vulnerable-endemic species, Grammomys minnae), suggesting the habitats’ significance for ecosystem functioning and conservation.
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33
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Tchouassi DP, Torto B, Sang R, Riginos C, Ezenwa VO. Large herbivore loss has complex effects on mosquito ecology and vector-borne disease risk. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:2503-2513. [PMID: 33170555 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Loss of biodiversity can affect transmission of infectious diseases in at least two ways: by altering host and vector abundance or by influencing host and vector behaviour. We used a large herbivore exclusion experiment to investigate the effects of wildlife loss on the abundance and feeding behaviour of mosquito vectors and to explore consequences for vector-borne disease transmission. Large herbivore loss affected both mosquito abundance and blood-feeding behaviour. For Aedes mcintoshi, the dominant mosquito species in our study and a primary vector of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), abundance decreased with large herbivore loss, while blood feeding on humans increased. Despite an elevated human biting rate in the absence of large herbivores, we estimated that the potential for RVFV transmission to humans doubles in the presence of large herbivores. These results demonstrate that multiple effects of biodiversity loss on vectors can lead to counterintuitive outcomes for human disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Tchouassi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Baldwyn Torto
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rosemary Sang
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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34
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Halliday FW, Rohr JR, Laine A. Biodiversity loss underlies the dilution effect of biodiversity. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1611-1622. [PMID: 32808427 PMCID: PMC7693066 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The dilution effect predicts increasing biodiversity to reduce the risk of infection, but the generality of this effect remains unresolved. Because biodiversity loss generates predictable changes in host community competence, we hypothesised that biodiversity loss might drive the dilution effect. We tested this hypothesis by reanalysing four previously published meta-analyses that came to contradictory conclusions regarding generality of the dilution effect. In the context of biodiversity loss, our analyses revealed a unifying pattern: dilution effects were inconsistently observed for natural biodiversity gradients, but were commonly observed for biodiversity gradients generated by disturbances causing losses of biodiversity. Incorporating biodiversity loss into tests of generality of the dilution effect further indicated that scale-dependency may strengthen the dilution effect only when biodiversity gradients are driven by biodiversity loss. Together, these results help to resolve one of the most contentious issues in disease ecology: the generality of the dilution effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fletcher W. Halliday
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurich8057Switzerland
| | - Jason R. Rohr
- Department of Biological SciencesEck Institute of Global HealthEnvironmental Change InitiativeUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameINUSA
| | - Anna‐Liisa Laine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurich8057Switzerland
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research ProgramUniversity of HelsinkiPO Box 65HelsinkiFI‐00014Finland
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35
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Espinosa R, Tago D, Treich N. Infectious Diseases and Meat Production. ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2020; 76:1019-1044. [PMID: 32836843 PMCID: PMC7399585 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00484-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Most infectious diseases in humans originate from animals. In this paper, we explore the role of animal farming and meat consumption in the emergence and amplification of infectious diseases. First, we discuss how meat production increases epidemic risks, either directly through increased contact with wild and farmed animals or indirectly through its impact on the environment (e.g., biodiversity loss, water use, climate change). Traditional food systems such as bushmeat and backyard farming increase the risks of disease transmission from wild animals, while intensive farming amplifies the impact of the disease due to the high density, genetic proximity, increased immunodeficiency, and live transport of farmed animals. Second, we describe the various direct and indirect costs of animal-based infectious diseases, and in particular, how these diseases can negatively impact the economy and the environment. Last, we discuss policies to reduce the social costs of infectious diseases. While existing regulatory frameworks such as the "One Health" approach focus on increasing farms' biosecurity and emergency preparedness, we emphasize the need to better align stakeholders' incentives and to reduce meat consumption. We discuss in particular the implementation of a "zoonotic" Pigouvian tax, and innovations such as insect-based food or cultured meat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Damian Tago
- Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand
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36
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Newbold T, Bentley LF, Hill SLL, Edgar MJ, Horton M, Su G, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Collen B, Purvis A. Global effects of land use on biodiversity differ among functional groups. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Newbold
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - Laura F. Bentley
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge UK
| | - Samantha L. L. Hill
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge UK
- Department of Life Sciences Natural History Museum London UK
| | | | - Matthew Horton
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Geoffrey Su
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Çağan H. Şekercioğlu
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
- College of Sciences Koç University Istanbul Turkey
| | - Ben Collen
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - Andy Purvis
- Department of Life Sciences Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London London UK
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37
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Ninety-Ninth Annual Meeting American Society of Mammalogists Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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38
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Mendoza H, Rubio AV, García-Peña GE, Suzán G, Simonetti JA. Does land-use change increase the abundance of zoonotic reservoirs? Rodents say yes. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1344-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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39
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Lacher TE, Davidson AD, Fleming TH, Gómez-Ruiz EP, McCracken GF, Owen-Smith N, Peres CA, Vander Wall SB. The functional roles of mammals in ecosystems. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Lacher
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ana D Davidson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Theodore H Fleming
- Emeritus, Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Emma P Gómez-Ruiz
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, México
| | - Gary F McCracken
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Norman Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Carlos A Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B Vander Wall
- Department of Biology and the Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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40
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Hatyoka L, Froeschke G, Kleynhans D, van der Mescht L, Heighton S, Matthee S, Bastos A. Bartonellae of Synanthropic Four-Striped Mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) from the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:242-248. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Hatyoka
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Götz Froeschke
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Dewald Kleynhans
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Luther van der Mescht
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Sean Heighton
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Sonja Matthee
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Armanda Bastos
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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41
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Bergstrom BJ, Sensenig RL, Augustine DJ, Young TP. Searching for cover: soil enrichment and herbivore exclusion, not fire, enhance African savanna small‐mammal abundance. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan L. Sensenig
- Department of Biological Sciences Goshen College Goshen Indiana 46526 USA
| | - David J. Augustine
- Rangeland Resources Research Unit USDA–Agricultural Research Service Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Truman P. Young
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis California 95616 USA
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42
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ZEPPELINI CAIOG, DE ALMEIDA ALZIRAM, CORDEIRO-ESTRELA PEDRO. Ongoing quiescence in the Borborema Plateau Plague focus (Paraiba, Brazil). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 90:3007-3015. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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43
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Goheen JR, Augustine DJ, Veblen KE, Kimuyu DM, Palmer TM, Porensky LM, Pringle RM, Ratnam J, Riginos C, Sankaran M, Ford AT, Hassan AA, Jakopak R, Kartzinel TR, Kurukura S, Louthan AM, Odadi WO, Otieno TO, Wambua AM, Young HS, Young TP. Conservation lessons from large-mammal manipulations in East African savannas: the KLEE, UHURU, and GLADE experiments. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1429:31-49. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology; University of Wyoming; Laramie Wyoming
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | | | - Kari E. Veblen
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah
| | - Duncan M. Kimuyu
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Todd M. Palmer
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville Florida
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | | | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton New Jersey
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | | | | | - Mahesh Sankaran
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR; Bangalore India
- School of Biology, University of Leeds; Leeds United Kingdom
| | - Adam T. Ford
- Department of Biology; University of British Columbia; Kelowna British Columbia Canada
| | | | - Rhiannon Jakopak
- Department of Zoology and Physiology; University of Wyoming; Laramie Wyoming
| | - Tyler R. Kartzinel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island
| | | | | | - Wilfred O. Odadi
- Department of Natural Resources; Egerton University; Egerton Kenya
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | | | - Alois M. Wambua
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center; Utah State University; Logan Utah
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Hillary S. Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; University of California; Santa Barbara California
| | - Truman P. Young
- Department of Plant Sciences; University of California; Davis California
- Mpala Research Centre; Nanyuki Kenya
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44
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Rabiee MH, Mahmoudi A, Siahsarvie R, Kryštufek B, Mostafavi E. Rodent-borne diseases and their public health importance in Iran. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006256. [PMID: 29672510 PMCID: PMC5908068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rodents are reservoirs and hosts for several zoonotic diseases such as plague, leptospirosis, and leishmaniasis. Rapid development of industry and agriculture, as well as climate change throughout the globe, has led to change or increase in occurrence of rodent-borne diseases. Considering the distribution of rodents throughout Iran, the aim of this review is to assess the risk of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Methodology/Principal finding We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran databases up to September 2016 to obtain articles reporting occurrence of rodent-borne diseases in Iran and extract information from them. Out of 70 known rodent-borne diseases, 34 were reported in Iran: 17 (50%) parasitic diseases, 13 (38%) bacterial diseases, and 4 (12%) viral diseases. Twenty-one out of 34 diseases were reported from both humans and rodents. Among the diseases reported in the rodents of Iran, plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent. The most infected rodents were Rattus norvegicus (16 diseases), Mus musculus (14 diseases), Rattus rattus (13 diseases), Meriones persicus (7 diseases), Apodemus spp. (5 diseases), Tatera indica (4 diseases), Meriones libycus (3 diseases), Rhombomys opimus (3 diseases), Cricetulus migratorius (3 diseases), and Nesokia indica (2 diseases). Conclusions/Significance The results of this review indicate the importance of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Considering notable diversity of rodents and their extensive distribution throughout the country, it is crucial to pay more attention to their role in spreading infectious diseases for better control of the diseases. This review showed that approximately half of the known rodent-borne diseases have been reported in Iran, half of which were reported both in humans and rodents. Most of the diseases were bacterial and parasitic. Plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent diseases among rodent populations. Also, this review showed that among the rodent species, three commensal ones—R. norvegicus, M. musculus, and R. rattus—play an important role in the transmission of diseases to humans in Iran. Considering repeated reports of many of these diseases in humans and rodents, and the notable diversity and extensive distribution of rodents throughout Iran, it is crucial to pay adequate attention to rodents as a source of zoonotic infectious diseases in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hasan Rabiee
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Mahmoudi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Iran
| | - Roohollah Siahsarvie
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Rodentology Research Department (RRD), Institute of Applied Animal (IAA), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Iran
- * E-mail:
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45
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Coalescence Models Reveal the Rise of the White-Bellied Rat (Niviventer confucianus) Following the Loss of Asian Megafauna. J MAMM EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-018-9428-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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46
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Titcomb G, Allan BF, Ainsworth T, Henson L, Hedlund T, Pringle RM, Palmer TM, Njoroge L, Campana MG, Fleischer RC, Mantas JN, Young HS. Interacting effects of wildlife loss and climate on ticks and tick-borne disease. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0475. [PMID: 28878055 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Both large-wildlife loss and climatic changes can independently influence the prevalence and distribution of zoonotic disease. Given growing evidence that wildlife loss often has stronger community-level effects in low-productivity areas, we hypothesized that these perturbations would have interactive effects on disease risk. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by measuring tick abundance and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp.) within long-term, size-selective, large-herbivore exclosures replicated across a precipitation gradient in East Africa. Total wildlife exclusion increased total tick abundance by 130% (mesic sites) to 225% (dry, low-productivity sites), demonstrating a significant interaction of defaunation and aridity on tick abundance. When differing degrees of exclusion were tested for a subset of months, total tick abundance increased from 170% (only mega-herbivores excluded) to 360% (all large wildlife excluded). Wildlife exclusion differentially affected the abundance of the three dominant tick species, and this effect varied strongly over time, likely due to differences among species in their host associations, seasonality, and other ecological characteristics. Pathogen prevalence did not differ across wildlife exclusion treatments, rainfall levels, or tick species, suggesting that exposure risk will respond to defaunation and climate change in proportion to total tick abundance. These findings demonstrate interacting effects of defaunation and aridity that increase disease risk, and they highlight the need to incorporate ecological context when predicting effects of wildlife loss on zoonotic disease dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Titcomb
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA .,Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Brian F Allan
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Tyler Ainsworth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Henson
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Tyler Hedlund
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Laban Njoroge
- Invertebrate Zoology Section, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | | | - Hillary S Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya
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47
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Young HS, McCauley DJ, Dirzo R, Nunn CL, Campana MG, Agwanda B, Otarola-Castillo ER, Castillo ER, Pringle RM, Veblen KE, Salkeld DJ, Stewardson K, Fleischer R, Lambin EF, Palmer TM, Helgen KM. Interacting effects of land use and climate on rodent-borne pathogens in central Kenya. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0116. [PMID: 28438909 PMCID: PMC5413868 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on zoonotic disease risk is both a critical conservation objective and a public health priority. Here, we evaluate the effects of multiple forms of anthropogenic disturbance across a precipitation gradient on the abundance of pathogen-infected small mammal hosts in a multi-host, multi-pathogen system in central Kenya. Our results suggest that conversion to cropland and wildlife loss alone drive systematic increases in rodent-borne pathogen prevalence, but that pastoral conversion has no such systematic effects. The effects are most likely explained both by changes in total small mammal abundance, and by changes in relative abundance of a few high-competence species, although changes in vector assemblages may also be involved. Several pathogens responded to interactions between disturbance type and climatic conditions, suggesting the potential for synergistic effects of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change on the distribution of disease risk. Overall, these results indicate that conservation can be an effective tool for reducing abundance of rodent-borne pathogens in some contexts (e.g. wildlife loss alone); however, given the strong variation in effects across disturbance types, pathogen taxa and environmental conditions, the use of conservation as public health interventions will need to be carefully tailored to specific pathogens and human contexts. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary S Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA .,Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Douglas J McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.,Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | | | | | - Eric R Castillo
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kari E Veblen
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Daniel J Salkeld
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Kristin Stewardson
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Robert Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Eric F Lambin
- Department of Earth System Science and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Mpala Research Centre, Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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48
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Rothenburger JL, Himsworth CG, Nemeth NM, Pearl DL, Jardine CM. Beyond abundance: How microenvironmental features and weather influence Bartonella tribocorum infection in wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Zoonoses Public Health 2017; 65:339-351. [PMID: 29274119 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) inhabit cities worldwide and carry a number of zoonotic pathogens. Although many studies have investigated rat-level risk factors, there is limited research on the effects of weather and environment on zoonotic pathogen transmission ecology in rats. The objective of this study was to use a disease ecology approach to understand how abiotic (weather and urban microenvironmental features) and biotic (relative rat population abundance) factors affect Bartonella tribocorum prevalence in urban Norway rats from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This potentially zoonotic pathogen is primarily transmitted by fleas and is common among rodents, including rats, around the world. During a systematic rat trap and removal study, city blocks were evaluated for 48 environmental variables related to waste, land/alley use and property condition, and rat abundance. We constructed 32 weather (temperature and precipitation) variables with time lags prior to the date we captured each rat. We fitted multivariable logistic regression models with rat pathogen status as the outcome. The odds of a rat testing positive for B. tribocorum were significantly lower for rats in city blocks with one or more low-rise apartment buildings compared to blocks with none (OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.04-0.80; p = .02). The reason for this association may be related to unmeasured factors that influence pathogen transmission and maintenance, as well as flea vector survival. Bartonella tribocorum infection in rats was positively associated with high minimum temperatures for several time periods prior to rat capture. This finding suggests that a baseline minimum temperature may be necessary for flea vector survival and B. tribocorum transmission among rats. There was no significant association with rat abundance, suggesting a lack of density-dependent pathogen transmission. This study is an important first step to understanding how environment and weather impacts rat infections including zoonotic pathogen ecology in urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Rothenburger
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Ontario-Nunavut Region, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C G Himsworth
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, British Columbia Region, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - N M Nemeth
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Ontario-Nunavut Region, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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49
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Neves ES, Mendenhall IH, Borthwick SA, Su YCF, Smith GJD. Detection and genetic characterization of diverse Bartonella genotypes in the small mammals of Singapore. Zoonoses Public Health 2017; 65:e207-e215. [PMID: 29235263 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella species are arthropod-borne bacterial pathogens that infect numerous mammalian species. Small mammals play an important role as natural reservoirs of many Bartonella species, maintaining the greatest diversity of Bartonella described to date. Although Bartonella research has been conducted in Southeast Asia, no studies have been undertaken on small mammals in Singapore. Here, we report the detection and description of Bartonella in small mammals in Singapore during the period of November 2011 to May 2014. BartonellaDNA was detected in 20.8% (22/106) of small mammal spleens with a PCR amplifying the beta subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase (rpoB) gene. Commensal species Rattus norvegicus and Rattus tanezumi had the highest prevalence, 75% (3/4) and 34,5% (10/29), followed by Suncus murinus 30% (6/20), Tupaia glis 16,7% (1/6) and Mus castaneus 13.3% (2/15). Phylogenetic analysis of 18 rpoB gene sequences revealed five Bartonella genotypes circulating in the small mammals of Singapore. Bayesian tip-significance testing demonstrated strong structuring in the geographical signal, indicating that distribution of Bartonella species is correlated to the distribution of their hosts. Major deforestation and fragmentation in Singapore favour synanthropic species that traverse habitats and increase the possibility of spillover to incidental hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Neves
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - I H Mendenhall
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - S A Borthwick
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Y C F Su
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - G J D Smith
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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50
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Lewis JS, Logan KA, Alldredge MW, Carver S, Bevins SN, Lappin M, VandeWoude S, Crooks KR. The effects of demographic, social, and environmental characteristics on pathogen prevalence in wild felids across a gradient of urbanization. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187035. [PMID: 29121060 PMCID: PMC5679604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission of pathogens among animals is influenced by demographic, social, and environmental factors. Anthropogenic alteration of landscapes can impact patterns of disease dynamics in wildlife populations, increasing the potential for spillover and spread of emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, human, and domestic animal populations. We evaluated the effects of multiple ecological mechanisms on patterns of pathogen exposure in animal populations. Specifically, we evaluated how ecological factors affected the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (Toxoplasma), Bartonella spp. (Bartonella), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and feline calicivirus (FCV) in bobcat and puma populations across wildland-urban interface (WUI), low-density exurban development, and wildland habitat on the Western Slope (WS) and Front Range (FR) of Colorado during 2009-2011. Samples were collected from 37 bobcats and 29 pumas on the WS and FR. As predicted, age appeared to be positively related to the exposure to pathogens that are both environmentally transmitted (Toxoplasma) and directly transmitted between animals (FIV). In addition, WS bobcats appeared more likely to be exposed to Toxoplasma with increasing intraspecific space-use overlap. However, counter to our predictions, exposure to directly-transmitted pathogens (FCV and FIV) was more likely with decreasing space-use overlap (FCV: WS bobcats) and potential intraspecific contacts (FIV: FR pumas). Environmental factors, including urbanization and landscape covariates, were generally unsupported in our models. This study is an approximation of how pathogens can be evaluated in relation to demographic, social, and environmental factors to understand pathogen exposure in wild animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S. Lewis
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Kenneth A. Logan
- Mammals Research, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Montrose, CO, United States of America
| | - Mat W. Alldredge
- Mammals Research, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Scott Carver
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Sarah N. Bevins
- USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Michael Lappin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Sue VandeWoude
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Kevin R. Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
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