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Easterday WR, Ponciano JM, Gomez JP, Van Ert MN, Hadfield T, Bagamian K, Blackburn JK, Stenseth NC, Turner WC. Coalescence modeling of intrainfection Bacillus anthracis populations allows estimation of infection parameters in wild populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:4273-4280. [PMID: 32054783 PMCID: PMC7049103 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920790117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is a well-established model organism. For B. anthracis and most other infectious diseases, knowledge regarding transmission and infection parameters in natural systems, in large part, comprises data gathered from closely controlled laboratory experiments. Fatal, natural anthrax infections transmit the bacterium through new host-pathogen contacts at carcass sites, which can occur years after death of the previous host. For the period between contact and death, all of our knowledge is based upon experimental data from domestic livestock and laboratory animals. Here we use a noninvasive method to explore the dynamics of anthrax infections, by evaluating the terminal diversity of B. anthracis in anthrax carcasses. We present an application of population genetics theory, specifically, coalescence modeling, to intrainfection populations of B. anthracis to derive estimates for the duration of the acute phase of the infection and effective population size converted to the number of colony-forming units establishing infection in wild plains zebra (Equus quagga). Founding populations are small, a few colony-forming units, and infections are rapid, lasting roughly between 1 d and 3 d in the wild. Our results closely reflect experimental data, showing that small founding populations progress acutely, killing the host within days. We believe this method is amendable to other bacterial diseases from wild, domestic, and human systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Ryan Easterday
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Juan Pablo Gomez
- Departamento de Química y Biología, Universidad del Norte, 080020 Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Matthew N Van Ert
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Ted Hadfield
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Karoun Bagamian
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Jason K Blackburn
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Wendy C Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222
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Keith B, Bagamian K, Bouland J, Charles M, Cheruiyot S, Lukorito L, Oyango M, Rheigans R. Zoonotic enteric pathogens in Kisumu Kenya, a comparison of farmed and
Lake Victoria Tilapia: A collaborative interprofessional One Health
project. Ann Glob Health 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.04.653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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