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Malmberg JL, Allen SE, Jennings-Gaines JE, Johnson M, Luukkonen KL, Robbins KM, Cornish TE, Smiley RA, Wagler BL, Gregory Z, Lutz D, Hnilicka P, Monteith KL, Edwards WH. Pathology of Chronic Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Carriers in a Declining Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Population. J Wildl Dis 2024; 60:448-460. [PMID: 38329742 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-23-00132] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across North America commonly experience population-limiting epizootics of respiratory disease. Although many cases of bighorn sheep pneumonia are polymicrobial, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is most frequently associated with all-age mortality events followed by years of low recruitment. Chronic carriage of M. ovipneumoniae by adult females serves as a source of exposure of naïve juveniles; relatively few ewes may be responsible for maintenance of infection within a herd. Test-and-remove strategies focused on removal of adult females with evidence of persistent or intermittent shedding (hereafter chronic carriers) may reduce prevalence and mitigate mortality. Postmortem confirmation of pneumonia in chronic carriers has been inadequately reported and the pathology has not been thoroughly characterized, limiting our understanding of important processes shaping the epidemiology of pneumonia in bighorn sheep. Here we document postmortem findings and characterize the lesions of seven ewes removed from a declining bighorn sheep population in Wyoming, USA, following at least two antemortem detections of M. ovipneumoniae within a 14-mo period. We confirmed that 6/7 (85.7%) had variable degrees of chronic pneumonia. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae was detected in the lung of 4/7 (57.1%) animals postmortem. Four (57.1%) had paranasal sinus masses, all of which were classified as inflammatory, hyperplastic lesions. Pasteurella multocida was detected in all seven (100%) animals, while Trueperella pyogenes was detected in 5/7 (71.4%). Our findings indicate that not all chronic carriers have pneumonia, nor do all have detectable M. ovipneumoniae in the lung. Further, paranasal sinus masses are a common but inconsistent finding, and whether sinus lesions predispose to persistence or result from chronic carriage remains unclear. Our findings indicate that disease is variable in chronic M. ovipneumoniae carriers, underscoring the need for further efforts to characterize pathologic processes and underlying mechanisms in this system to inform management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Malmberg
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
- Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070
- Current affiliation and address: National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
| | - Samantha E Allen
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, 1212 South Adams Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Jessica E Jennings-Gaines
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Marguerite Johnson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Katie L Luukkonen
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Kara M Robbins
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
| | - Todd E Cornish
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab, University of California-Davis, 18760 Road 112, Tulare, California 93274, USA
| | - Rachel A Smiley
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Brittany L Wagler
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - Zach Gregory
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Daryl Lutz
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Pat Hnilicka
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, 170 North First Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- University of Wyoming, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
| | - William H Edwards
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Health Laboratory, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA
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2
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Tosa MI, Biel MJ, Graves TA. Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15625. [PMID: 37576510 PMCID: PMC10416771 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic factors (e.g., land cover type, season) on direct contact (simultaneous GPS locations ≤ 25 m) rates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) at multiple scales near the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. During 2002-2012, male and female bighorn were equipped with GPS collars. Indirect contact (GPS locations ≤ 25 m regardless of time) networks identified two major breaks whereas direct contact networks identified an additional barrier in the population, all of which corresponded with prior disease exposure metrics. More direct contacts occurred between same-sex dyads than female-male dyads and between bighorn groups with overlapping summer home ranges. Direct contacts occurred most often during the winter-spring season when bighorn traveled at low speeds and when an adequate number of bighorn were collared in the area. Direct contact probabilities for all dyad types were inversely related to habitat quality, and differences in contact probability were driven by variables related to survival such as terrain ruggedness, distance to escape terrain, and canopy cover. We provide evidence that probabilities of association are higher when there is greater predation risk and that contact analysis provides valuable information for understanding fitness tradeoffs of sociality and disease transmission potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie I. Tosa
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Biel
- Glacier National Park, National Park Service, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier, MT, United States of America
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3
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Rushmore J, Beechler BR, Tavalire H, Gorsich EE, Charleston B, Devan‐Song A, Glidden CK, Jolles AE. The heterogeneous herd: Drivers of close-contact variation in African buffalo and implications for pathogen invasion. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10447. [PMID: 37621318 PMCID: PMC10445036 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Many infectious pathogens are shared through social interactions, and examining host connectivity has offered valuable insights for understanding patterns of pathogen transmission across wildlife species. African buffalo are social ungulates and important reservoirs of directly-transmitted pathogens that impact numerous wildlife and livestock species. Here, we analyzed African buffalo social networks to quantify variation in close contacts, examined drivers of contact heterogeneity, and investigated how the observed contact patterns affect pathogen invasion likelihoods for a wild social ungulate. We collected continuous association data using proximity collars and sampled host traits approximately every 2 months during a 15-month study period in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Although the observed herd was well connected, with most individuals contacting each other during each bimonthly interval, our analyses revealed striking heterogeneity in close-contact associations among herd members. Network analysis showed that individual connectivity was stable over time and that individual age, sex, reproductive status, and pairwise genetic relatedness were important predictors of buffalo connectivity. Calves were the most connected members of the herd, and adult males were the least connected. These findings highlight the role susceptible calves may play in the transmission of pathogens within the herd. We also demonstrate that, at time scales relevant to infectious pathogens found in nature, the observed level of connectivity affects pathogen invasion likelihoods for a wide range of infectious periods and transmissibilities. Ultimately, our study identifies key predictors of social connectivity in a social ungulate and illustrates how contact heterogeneity, even within a highly connected herd, can shape pathogen invasion likelihoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Rushmore
- Carlson College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
- EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics, School of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Brianna R. Beechler
- Carlson College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - Hannah Tavalire
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - Erin E. Gorsich
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
- The Zeeman Institute: Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology ResearchUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
| | | | - Anne Devan‐Song
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | | | - Anna E. Jolles
- Carlson College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
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4
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Binkley L, O'Quin J, Jourdan B, Yimer G, Deressa A, Pomeroy LW. Quantifying intra- and inter-species contact rates at supplemental feeding sites in Ethiopia to inform rabies maintenance potential of multiple host species. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3837-3849. [PMID: 36325637 PMCID: PMC10099229 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Rabies, a multi-host pathogen responsible for the loss of roughly 59,000 human lives each year worldwide, continues to impose a significant burden of disease despite control efforts, especially in Ethiopia. However, how species other than dogs contribute to rabies transmission throughout Ethiopia remains largely unknown. In this study, we quantified interactions among wildlife species in Ethiopia with the greatest potential for contributing to rabies maintenance. We observed wildlife at supplemental scavenging sites across multiple landscape types and quantified transmission potential. More specifically, we used camera trap data to quantify species abundance, species distribution, and intra- and inter-species contacts per trapping night over time and by location. We derived a mathematical expression for the basic reproductive number (R0 ) based on within- and between-species contract rates by applying the next generation method to the susceptible, exposed, infectious, removed model. We calculated R0 for transmission within each species and between each pair of species using camera trap data in order to identify pairwise interactions that contributed the most to transmission in an ecological community. We estimated which species, or species pairs, could maintain transmission ( R 0 > 1 ${R_0} > 1$ ) and which species, or species pairs, had contact rates too low for maintenance ( R 0 < 1 ${R_0} < 1$ ). Our results identified multiple urban carnivores as candidate species for rabies maintenance throughout Ethiopia, with hyenas exhibiting the greatest risk for rabies maintenance through intra-species transmission. Hyenas and cats had the greatest risk for rabies maintenance through inter-species transmission. Urban and peri-urban sites posed the greatest risk for rabies transmission. The night-time hours presented the greatest risk for a contact event that could result in rabies transmission. Overall, both intra- and inter-species contacts posed risk for rabies maintenance. Our results can be used to target future studies and inform population management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Binkley
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Global One Health initiative, Office of Internaional Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeanette O'Quin
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Balbine Jourdan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Getnet Yimer
- Global One Health initiative, Office of Internaional Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Asefa Deressa
- Rabies and Other Zoonotic Diseases Research Division, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Laura W Pomeroy
- Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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5
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Sanchez JN, Munk BA, Colby J, Torres SG, Gonzales BJ, DeForge JR, Byard AJ, Konde L, Shirkey NJ, Pandit PS, Botta RA, Roug A, Ziccardi MH, Johnson CK. Pathogen surveillance and epidemiology in endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis nelsoni). CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022; 4:e12820. [PMID: 36590384 PMCID: PMC9799158 DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12820] [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: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are found exclusively in Southern California and Baja Mexico. They are federally endangered due to multiple threats, including introduced infectious disease. From 1981 - 2017, we conducted surveillance for 16 pathogens and estimated population sizes, adult survival, and lamb survival. We used mixed effects regression models to assess disease patterns at the individual and population levels. Pathogen infection/exposure prevalence varied both spatially and temporally. Our findings indicate that the primary predictor of individual pathogen infection/exposure was the region in which an animal was captured, implying that transmission is driven by local ecological or behavioral factors. Higher Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae seropositivity was associated with lower lamb survival, consistent with lambs having high rates of pneumonia-associated mortality, which may be slowing population recovery. There was no association between M. ovipneumoniae and adult survival. Adult survival was positively associated with population size and parainfluenza-3 virus seroprevalence in the same year, and orf virus seroprevalence in the previous year. Peninsular bighorn sheep are recovering from small population sizes in a habitat of environmental extremes, compounded by infectious disease. Our research can help inform future pathogen surveillance and population monitoring for the long-term conservation of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N. Sanchez
- EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Dr, Davis, California, USA 95616
| | - Brandon A. Munk
- Wildlife Health Lab, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA 95670
| | - Janene Colby
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, South Coast Region, 3883 Ruffin Rd, San Diego, CA, USA 92123
| | - Steve G. Torres
- Wildlife Health Lab, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA 95670
| | - Ben J. Gonzales
- Wildlife Health Lab, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA 95670
| | | | - Aimee J. Byard
- Bighorn Institute, P.O. Box 262, Palm Desert, CA, USA 92261
| | - Lora Konde
- Wildlife Health Lab, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA 95670
| | - Nicholas J. Shirkey
- Wildlife Health Lab, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA 95670
| | - Pranav S. Pandit
- EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Dr, Davis, California, USA 95616
| | - Randy A. Botta
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, South Coast Region, 3883 Ruffin Rd, San Diego, CA, USA 92123
| | - Annette Roug
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Michael H. Ziccardi
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Dr, Davis, California, USA 95616
| | - Christine K. Johnson
- EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Dr, Davis, California, USA 95616
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6
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Sawyers E, Cox TE, Fleming PJS, Leung LKP, Morris S. Social interactions of juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and their potential role in lagovirus transmission. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271272. [PMID: 35901018 PMCID: PMC9333329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV), which is a calicivirus, is used as a biocontrol agent to suppress European wild rabbit populations in Australia. The transmission of RHDV can be influenced by social interactions of rabbits; however, there is a paucity of this knowledge about juvenile rabbits and the roles they may play in the transmission of RHDV. We aimed to quantify the social interactions of juvenile (< 900 g) and adult (> 1200 g) rabbits in a locally abundant population in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Twenty-six juvenile and 16 adult rabbits were fitted with VHF proximity loggers to monitor intra- and inter-group pairings. Use of multiple warrens by these rabbits was investigated using VHF base stations at nine warrens and on foot with a hand-held Yagi antenna. Juvenile rabbits were strongly interconnected with both juveniles and adults within and outside their warren of capture, and almost all juveniles were well-connected to other individuals within their own social group. Inter-group pairings were infrequent and fleeting between adults. Both juvenile and adult rabbits used multiple warrens. However, visits to warrens outside their warren of capture, particularly those within 50 m, were more common and longer in duration in juveniles than in adults. The high connectivity of juveniles within and between warrens in close proximity increases potential pathogen exchange between warrens. Therefore, juvenile rabbits could be of greater importance in lagovirus transmission than adult rabbits. The strength of juvenile rabbit inter- and intra-group pairings, and their tendency to use multiple warrens, highlight their potential to act as ‘superspreaders’ of both infection and immunity for lagoviruses and other pathogens with similar lifecycles. Confirmation of this potential is required through examination of disease progress and rabbit age-related immune responses during outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Sawyers
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Tarnya E. Cox
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter J. S. Fleming
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luke K. P. Leung
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen Morris
- Fisheries Research, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Manlove K, Wilber M, White L, Bastille‐Rousseau G, Yang A, Gilbertson MLJ, Craft ME, Cross PC, Wittemyer G, Pepin KM. Defining an epidemiological landscape that connects movement ecology to pathogen transmission and pace‐of‐life. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1760-1782. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | - Mark Wilber
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Lauren White
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center University of Maryland Annapolis Maryland USA
| | | | - Anni Yang
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Marie L. J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman Montana USA
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Kim M. Pepin
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
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8
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Manlove KR, Roug A, Sinclair K, Ricci LE, Hersey KR, Martinez C, Martinez MA, Mower K, Ortega T, Rominger E, Ruhl C, Tatman N, Taylor J. Bighorn sheep show similar in-host responses to the same pathogen strain in two contrasting environments. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9109. [PMID: 35866023 PMCID: PMC9288933 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9109] [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: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological context-the biotic and abiotic environment, along with its influence on population mixing dynamics and individual susceptibility-is thought to have major bearing on epidemic outcomes. However, direct comparisons of wildlife disease events in contrasting ecological contexts are often confounded by concurrent differences in host genetics, exposure histories, or pathogen strains. Here, we compare disease dynamics of a Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae spillover event that affected bighorn sheep populations in two contrasting ecological contexts. One event occurred on the herd's home range near the Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico, while the other occurred in a captive facility at Hardware Ranch in Utah. While data collection regimens varied, general patterns of antibody signal strength and symptom emergence were conserved between the two sites. Symptoms appeared in the captive setting an average of 12.9 days postexposure, average time to seroconversion was 24.9 days, and clinical signs peaked at approximately 36 days postinfection. These patterns were consistent with serological testing and subsequent declines in symptom intensity in the free-ranging herd. At the captive site, older animals exhibited more severe declines in body condition and loin thickness, higher symptom burdens, and slower antibody response to the pathogen than younger animals. Younger animals were more likely than older animals to clear infection by the time of sampling at both sites. The patterns presented here suggest that environment may not be a major determinant of epidemiological outcomes in the bighorn sheep-M. ovipneumoniae system, elevating the possibility that host- or pathogen-factors may be responsible for observed variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia R. Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Annette Roug
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of PretoriaOnderstepoortSouth Africa
| | - Kylie Sinclair
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Lauren E. Ricci
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Kent R. Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | | | | | - Kerry Mower
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Talisa Ortega
- Taos Pueblo Division of Natural ResourcesTaosNew MexicoUSA
| | - Eric Rominger
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Caitlin Ruhl
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Nicole Tatman
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Jace Taylor
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- US Fish and Wildlife ServiceWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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9
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Cattadori IM. Spatial scaling of gregarious host populations and nonlinearities in infectious disease transmission. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:912-915. [PMID: 35509202 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Lunn, T. J., Peel, A. J., Eby, P., Brooks, R., Plowright, R. K., Kessler, M. K., & McCallum, H. (2021). Counterintuitive scaling between population abundance and local density: Implications for modelling transmission of infectious diseases in bat populations. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13634. Quantifying the transmission of an infectious disease is often difficult and for natural animal systems it can be a major challenge. Animals move over time and space changing their degree of aggregation and rate of contact, which, in turn, affects the risk of infection and the onward spread of the pathogen. Capturing the fundamentals of these processes requires the identification of both the correct spatial scale at which the processes take place and what constitutes a meaningful host population unit. Lunn et al. collected data on the gregarious Pteropus (flying foxes) bats from roost sites in Australia and investigated whether total bat abundance at the roost level, the spatial scale commonly used to model pathogen spread in bat populations, was representative of bat measurements at the tree level, the scale at which pathogen transmission between bats most likely occurs. Their findings showed that bat population measurements at the sub-plot level were strong predictors for potential transmission at the tree scale, while roost-level measurements were less robust. This study suggests that bat abundance at roost is inadequate to capture the gregarious structure of bat populations and the fundamental processes of transmission at lower scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella M Cattadori
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
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10
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Sah P, Otterstatter M, Leu ST, Leviyang S, Bansal S. Revealing mechanisms of infectious disease spread through empirical contact networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009604. [PMID: 34928936 PMCID: PMC8758098 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of pathogens fundamentally depends on the underlying contacts between individuals. Modeling the dynamics of infectious disease spread through contact networks, however, can be challenging due to limited knowledge of how an infectious disease spreads and its transmission rate. We developed a novel statistical tool, INoDS (Identifying contact Networks of infectious Disease Spread) that estimates the transmission rate of an infectious disease outbreak, establishes epidemiological relevance of a contact network in explaining the observed pattern of infectious disease spread and enables model comparison between different contact network hypotheses. We show that our tool is robust to incomplete data and can be easily applied to datasets where infection timings of individuals are unknown. We tested the reliability of INoDS using simulation experiments of disease spread on a synthetic contact network and find that it is robust to incomplete data and is reliable under different settings of network dynamics and disease contagiousness compared with previous approaches. We demonstrate the applicability of our method in two host-pathogen systems: Crithidia bombi in bumblebee colonies and Salmonella in wild Australian sleepy lizard populations. INoDS thus provides a novel and reliable statistical tool for identifying transmission pathways of infectious disease spread. In addition, application of INoDS extends to understanding the spread of novel or emerging infectious disease, an alternative approach to laboratory transmission experiments, and overcoming common data-collection constraints. Network models are widely used to understand and predict infectious disease spread in human and animal populations. However, the choice of network model often relies on subjective expert knowledge or disease transmission experiments that are time-consuming and difficult to perform. We developed a novel tool, called INoDS (Identifying contact Networks of infectious Disease Spread), that uses robust statistical approach to establish relevance of a network model in explaining transmission pathways of an infectious disease outbreak. We used computer simulations and real-world dataset to test the accuracy of our tool and robustness to missing data. We found that INoDS is robust to common data-collection constraints, broadly applicable and accurate compared to current approaches. The tool that we have developed can therefore provide immediate epidemiological insights in the event of an epidemic outbreak, and can be used to improve targeted disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratha Sah
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Michael Otterstatter
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, Australia
| | - Sivan Leviyang
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Almberg ES, Manlove KR, Cassirer EF, Ramsey J, Carson K, Gude J, Plowright RK. Modelling management strategies for chronic disease in wildlife: Predictions for the control of respiratory disease in bighorn sheep. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kezia R. Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT USA
| | | | | | - Keri Carson
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Bozeman MT USA
| | - Justin Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Bozeman MT USA
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology Montana State University Bozeman MT USA
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12
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Stewart Merrill TE, Hall SR, Cáceres CE. Parasite exposure and host susceptibility jointly drive the emergence of epidemics. Ecology 2020; 102:e03245. [PMID: 33190226 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Parasite transmission is thought to depend on both parasite exposure and host susceptibility to infection; however, the relative contribution of these two factors to epidemics remains unclear. We used interactions between an aquatic host and its fungal parasite to evaluate how parasite exposure and host susceptibility interact to drive epidemics. In six lakes, we tracked the following factors from pre-epidemic to epidemic emergence: (1) parasite exposure (measured observationally as fungal spores attacking wild-caught hosts), (2) host susceptibility (measured experimentally as the number of fungal spores required to produce terminal infection), (3) host susceptibility traits (barrier resistance and internal clearance, both quantified with experimental assays), and (4) parasite prevalence (measured observationally from wild-caught hosts). Tracking these factors over 6 months and in almost 7,000 wild-caught hosts provided key information on the drivers of epidemics. We found that epidemics depended critically on the interaction of exposure and susceptibility; epidemics only emerged when a host population's level of exposure exceeded its individuals' capacity for recovery. Additionally, we found that host internal clearance traits (the hemocyte response) were critical in regulating epidemics. Our study provides an empirical demonstration of how parasite exposure and host susceptibility interact to inhibit or drive disease in natural systems and demonstrates that epidemics can be delayed by asynchronicity in the two processes. Finally, our results highlight how individual host traits can scale up to influence broad epidemiological patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara E Stewart Merrill
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Spencer R Hall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA
| | - Carla E Cáceres
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
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13
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Lowrey B, McWhirter DE, Proffitt KM, Monteith KL, Courtemanch AB, White PJ, Paterson JT, Dewey SR, Garrott RA. Individual variation creates diverse migratory portfolios in native populations of a mountain ungulate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e2106. [PMID: 32091631 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ecological theory and empirical studies have demonstrated population-level demographic benefits resulting from a diversity of migratory behaviors with important implications for ecology, conservation, and evolution of migratory organisms. Nevertheless, evaluation of migratory portfolios (i.e., the variation in migratory behaviors across space and time among individuals within populations) has received relatively little attention in migratory ungulates, where research has focused largely on the dichotomous behaviors (e.g., resident and migrant) of partially migratory populations. Using GPS data from 361 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across 17 (4 restored, 6 augmented, 7 native) populations in Montana and Wyoming, USA, we (1) characterized migratory portfolios based on behavioral and spatial migratory characteristics and (2) evaluated the relative influence of landscape attributes and management histories on migratory diversity. Native populations, which had been extant on the landscape for many generations, had more diverse migratory portfolios, higher behavioral switching rates, reduced seasonal range fidelity, and broad dispersion of individuals across summer and winter ranges. In contrast, restored populations with an abbreviated history on the landscape were largely non-migratory with a narrow portfolio of migratory behaviors, less behavioral switching, higher fidelity to seasonal ranges, and less dispersion on summer and winter ranges. Augmented populations were more variable and contained characteristics of both native and restored populations. Differences in migratory diversity among populations were associated with management histories (e.g., restored, augmented, or native). Landscape characteristics such as the duration and regularity of green-up, human landscape alterations, topography, and snow gradients were not strongly associated with migratory diversity. We suggest a two-pronged approach to restoring migratory portfolios in ungulates that first develops behavior-specific habitat models and then places individuals with known migratory behaviors into unoccupied areas in an effort to bolster migratory portfolios in restored populations, potentially with synergistic benefits associated with variation among individuals and resulting portfolio effects. Management efforts to restore diverse migratory portfolios may increase the abundance, resilience, and long-term viability of ungulate populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Lowrey
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - D E McWhirter
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - K M Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, USA
| | - K L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - A B Courtemanch
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, USA
| | - P J White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Mammoth, Wyoming, 82190, USA
| | - J T Paterson
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - S R Dewey
- Grand Teton National Park, National Park Service, PO Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, USA
| | - R A Garrott
- Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
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14
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Towards a mechanistic understanding of competence: a missing link in diversity-disease research. Parasitology 2020; 147:1159-1170. [PMID: 32517830 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020000943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss may increase the risk of infectious disease in a phenomenon known as the dilution effect. Circumstances that increase the likelihood of disease dilution are: (i) when hosts vary in their competence, and (ii) when communities disassemble predictably, such that the least competent hosts are the most likely to go extinct. Despite the central role of competence in diversity-disease theory, we lack a clear understanding of the factors underlying competence, as well as the drivers and extent of its variation. Our perspective piece encourages a mechanistic understanding of competence and a deeper consideration of its role in diversity-disease relationships. We outline current evidence, emerging questions and future directions regarding the basis of competence, its definition and measurement, the roots of its variation and its role in the community ecology of infectious disease.
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15
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Leu ST, Sah P, Krzyszczyk E, Jacoby AM, Mann J, Bansal S. Sex, synchrony, and skin contact: integrating multiple behaviors to assess pathogen transmission risk. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Direct pathogen and parasite transmission is fundamentally driven by a population’s contact network structure and its demographic composition and is further modulated by pathogen life-history traits. Importantly, populations are most often concurrently exposed to a suite of pathogens, which is rarely investigated, because contact networks are typically inferred from spatial proximity only. Here, we use 5 years of detailed observations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) that distinguish between four different types of social contact. We investigate how demography (sex and age) affects these different social behaviors. Three of the four social behaviors can be used as a proxy for understanding key routes of direct pathogen transmission (sexual contact, skin contact, and aerosol contact of respiratory vapor above the water surface). We quantify the demography-dependent network connectedness, representing the risk of exposure associated with the three pathogen transmission routes, and quantify coexposure risks and relate them to individual sociability. Our results suggest demography-driven disease risk in bottlenose dolphins, with males at greater risk than females, and transmission route-dependent implications for different age classes. We hypothesize that male alliance formation and the divergent reproductive strategies in males and females drive the demography-dependent connectedness and, hence, exposure risk to pathogens. Our study provides evidence for the risk of coexposure to pathogens transmitted along different transmission routes and that they relate to individual sociability. Hence, our results highlight the importance of a multibehavioral approach for a more complete understanding of the overall pathogen transmission risk in animal populations, as well as the cumulative costs of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan T Leu
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Pratha Sah
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ewa Krzyszczyk
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Jacoby
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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16
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Lunn TJ, Restif O, Peel AJ, Munster VJ, de Wit E, Sokolow S, van Doremalen N, Hudson P, McCallum H. Dose-response and transmission: the nexus between reservoir hosts, environment and recipient hosts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190016. [PMID: 31401955 PMCID: PMC6711301 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dose is the nexus between exposure and all upstream processes that determine pathogen pressure, and is thereby an important element underlying disease dynamics. Understanding the relationship between dose and disease is particularly important in the context of spillover, where nonlinearities in the dose-response could determine the likelihood of transmission. There is a need to explore dose-response models for directly transmitted and zoonotic pathogens, and how these interactions integrate within-host factors to consider, for example, heterogeneity in host susceptibility and dose-dependent antagonism. Here, we review the dose-response literature and discuss the unique role dose-response models have to play in understanding and predicting spillover events. We present a re-analysis of dose-response experiments for two important zoonotic pathogens (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Nipah virus), to exemplify potential difficulties in differentiating between appropriate models with small exposure experiment datasets. We also discuss the data requirements needed for robust selection between dose-response models. We then suggest how these processes could be modelled to gain more realistic predictions of zoonotic transmission outcomes and highlight the exciting opportunities that could arise with increased collaboration between the virology and epidemiology disciplines. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dynamic and integrative approaches to understanding pathogen spillover'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamika J. Lunn
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Olivier Restif
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Alison J. Peel
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Vincent J. Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, MT 59840, USA
| | - Emmie de Wit
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, MT 59840, USA
| | - Sanna Sokolow
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Neeltje van Doremalen
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, MT 59840, USA
| | - Peter Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, PA 16801, USA
| | - Hamish McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
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17
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Hamilton DG, Jones ME, Cameron EZ, McCallum H, Storfer A, Hohenlohe PA, Hamede RK. Rate of intersexual interactions affects injury likelihood in Tasmanian devil contact networks. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Identifying the types of contacts that result in disease transmission is important for accurately modeling and predicting transmission dynamics and disease spread in wild populations. We investigated contacts within a population of adult Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) over a 6-month period and tested whether individual-level contact patterns were correlated with accumulation of bite wounds. Bite wounds are important in the spread of devil facial tumor disease, a clonal cancer cell line transmitted through direct inoculation of tumor cells when susceptible and infected individuals bite each other. We used multimodel inference and network autocorrelation models to investigate the effects of individual-level contact patterns, identities of interacting partners, and position within the social network on the propensity to be involved in bite-inducing contacts. We found that males were more likely to receive potentially disease-transmitting bite wounds than females, particularly during the mating season when males spend extended periods mate-guarding females. The number of bite wounds individuals received during the mating season was unrelated to any of the network metrics examined. Our approach illustrates the necessity for understanding which contact types spread disease in different systems to assist the management of this and other infectious wildlife diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Hamilton
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania Australia
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania Australia
| | - Elissa Z Cameron
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Hamish McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland Australia
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Rodrigo K Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania Australia
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18
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Dawson DE, Farthing TS, Sanderson MW, Lanzas C. Transmission on empirical dynamic contact networks is influenced by data processing decisions. Epidemics 2019; 26:32-42. [PMID: 30528207 PMCID: PMC6613374 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic contact data can be used to inform disease transmission models, providing insight into the dynamics of infectious diseases. Such data often requires extensive processing for use in models or analysis. Therefore, processing decisions can potentially influence the topology of the contact network and the simulated disease transmission dynamics on the network. In this study, we examine how four processing decisions, including temporal sampling window (TSW), spatial threshold of contact (SpTh), minimum contact duration (MCD), and temporal aggregation (daily or hourly) influence the information content of contact data (indicated by changes in entropy) as well as disease transmission model dynamics. We found that changes made to information content by processing decisions translated to significant impacts to the transmission dynamics of disease models using the contact data. In particular, we found that SpTh had the largest independent influence on information content, and that some output metrics (R0, time to peak infection) were more sensitive to changes in information than others (epidemic extent). These findings suggest that insights gained from transmission modeling using dynamic contact data can be influenced by processing decisions alone, emphasizing the need to carefully consideration them prior to using contact-based models to conduct analyses, compare different datasets, or inform policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Dawson
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA.
| | - Trevor S Farthing
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Michael W Sanderson
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Cristina Lanzas
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
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19
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Sah P, Mann J, Bansal S. Disease implications of animal social network structure: A synthesis across social systems. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:546-558. [PMID: 29247466 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The disease costs of sociality have largely been understood through the link between group size and transmission. However, infectious disease spread is driven primarily by the social organization of interactions in a group and not its size. We used statistical models to review the social network organization of 47 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects by categorizing each species into one of three social systems, relatively solitary, gregarious and socially hierarchical. Additionally, using computational experiments of infection spread, we determined the disease costs of each social system. We find that relatively solitary species have large variation in number of social partners, that socially hierarchical species are the least clustered in their interactions, and that social networks of gregarious species tend to be the most fragmented. However, these structural differences are primarily driven by weak connections, which suggest that different social systems have evolved unique strategies to organize weak ties. Our synthetic disease experiments reveal that social network organization can mitigate the disease costs of group living for socially hierarchical species when the pathogen is highly transmissible. In contrast, highly transmissible pathogens cause frequent and prolonged epidemic outbreaks in gregarious species. We evaluate the implications of network organization across social systems despite methodological challenges, and our findings offer new perspective on the debate about the disease costs of group living. Additionally, our study demonstrates the potential of meta-analytic methods in social network analysis to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses on cooperation, group living, communication and resilience to extrinsic pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratha Sah
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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20
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Aiello C, Esque T, Nussear K, Emblidge P, Hudson P. Associating sex-biased and seasonal behaviour with contact patterns and transmission risk in Gopherus agassizii. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Interactions between wildlife hosts act as transmission routes for directly transmitted pathogens and vary in ways that affect transmission efficiency. Identifying drivers of contact variation can allow both contact inference and estimation of transmission dynamics despite limited data. In desert tortoises, mating strategy, burrow use and seasonal change influence numerous behaviours and likely shape contact patterns. In this study, we ask to what extent tortoise contact behaviour varies between sexes and seasons, and whether space or burrow-use data can be used to infer contact characteristics consistent with those recorded by proximity loggers. We identified sex and season-biased contact behaviour in both wild and captive populations indicative of female-female avoidance and seasonal male mate-seeking behaviour. Space and burrow-use patterns were informative, but did not always predict the extent of sex or seasonal biases on contact. We discuss the implications these findings have for transmission patterns and disease mitigation in tortoise populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.M. Aiello
- aDepartment of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- bU.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - T.C. Esque
- bU.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - K.E. Nussear
- cDepartment of Geography, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - P.G. Emblidge
- aDepartment of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - P.J. Hudson
- aDepartment of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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21
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Cassirer EF, Manlove KR, Almberg ES, Kamath PL, Cox M, Wolff P, Roug A, Shannon J, Robinson R, Harris RB, Gonzales BJ, Plowright RK, Hudson PJ, Cross PC, Dobson A, Besser TE. Pneumonia in bighorn sheep: Risk and resilience. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kezia R. Manlove
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and PathologyWashington State UniversityPullmanWA 99164USA
| | - Emily S. Almberg
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks1400 South 19th St.BozemanMT 59717USA
| | | | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of Wildlife6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120RenoNV 89511USA
| | - Peregrine Wolff
- Nevada Department of Wildlife6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120RenoNV 89511USA
| | - Annette Roug
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources1594 W. North Temple, Suite 2110Salt Lake CityUT 84116USA
| | - Justin Shannon
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources1594 W. North Temple, Suite 2110Salt Lake CityUT 84116USA
| | - Rusty Robinson
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources1594 W. North Temple, Suite 2110Salt Lake CityUT 84116USA
| | - Richard B. Harris
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way NorthOlympiaWA 98501USA
| | - Ben J. Gonzales
- Wildlife Investigations LaboratoryCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife1701 Nimbus RoadRancho CordovaCA 95670‐4503USA
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMT 59717USA
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsPenn State UniversityUniversity ParkPA 16802USA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMT 59715USA
| | - Andrew Dobson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJ 08544USA
| | - Thomas E. Besser
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and PathologyWashington State UniversityPullmanWA 99164USA
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22
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Manlove KR, Cassirer EF, Plowright RK, Cross PC, Hudson PJ. Contact and contagion: Probability of transmission given contact varies with demographic state in bighorn sheep. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:908-920. [PMID: 28317104 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding both contact and probability of transmission given contact are key to managing wildlife disease. However, wildlife disease research tends to focus on contact heterogeneity, in part because the probability of transmission given contact is notoriously difficult to measure. Here, we present a first step towards empirically investigating the probability of transmission given contact in free-ranging wildlife. We used measured contact networks to test whether bighorn sheep demographic states vary systematically in infectiousness or susceptibility to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, an agent responsible for bighorn sheep pneumonia. We built covariates using contact network metrics, demographic information and infection status, and used logistic regression to relate those covariates to lamb survival. The covariate set contained degree, a classic network metric describing node centrality, but also included covariates breaking the network metrics into subsets that differentiated between contacts with yearlings, ewes with lambs, and ewes without lambs, and animals with and without active infections. Yearlings, ewes with lambs, and ewes without lambs showed similar group membership patterns, but direct interactions involving touch occurred at a rate two orders of magnitude higher between lambs and reproductive ewes than between any classes of adults or yearlings, and one order of magnitude higher than direct interactions between multiple lambs. Although yearlings and non-reproductive bighorn ewes regularly carried M. ovipneumoniae, our models suggest that a contact with an infected reproductive ewe had approximately five times the odds of producing a lamb mortality event of an identical contact with an infected dry ewe or yearling. Consequently, management actions targeting infected animals might lead to unnecessary removal of young animals that carry pathogens but rarely transmit. This analysis demonstrates a simple logistic regression approach for testing a priori hypotheses about variation in the odds of transmission given contact for free-ranging hosts, and may be broadly applicable for investigations in wildlife disease ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia R Manlove
- Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Labs, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - E Frances Cassirer
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 3316 16th St., Lewiston, ID, 83501, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, PO Box 173520, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Paul C Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Research Center, 2327 University Way Ste. 2, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Peter J Hudson
- Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Labs, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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