Host behavior alters spiny lobster-viral disease dynamics: a simulation study.

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Disease Ecology
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Social behavior in animals offers benefits but increases disease transmission risks.
• The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) and PaV1 present a model for studying host-pathogen interactions.
• Lobsters exhibit social behavior but can modify it to avoid diseased conspecifics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trade-off between predation risk and disease transmission in Panulirus argus.
• To model the impact of host spatial structure and disease avoidance on PaV1 dynamics.
• To assess the effectiveness of disease avoidance behavior in mitigating viral outbreaks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a spatially explicit, individual-based model.
• Simulated host-pathogen interactions between juvenile spiny lobsters and PaV1.
• Varied scenarios of host spatial aggregation and disease avoidance behavior.

Main Results:

• Without avoidance, PaV1 outbreaks were intense, prolonged, and maintained at high levels.
• Empirically observed disease avoidance drastically reduced outbreak intensity and duration, leading to extirpation within five years.
• Increased lobster aggregation did not significantly enhance PaV1 transmission or persistence.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral aversion of diseased conspecifics is a highly effective strategy for reducing viral prevalence.
• Disease avoidance promotes host-pathogen system resilience by selecting against direct transmission.
• This behavior remains effective even under conditions of limited shelter availability and increased predation risk.