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Endemicity of chytridiomycosis features pathogen overdispersion
Laura F Grogan1,2, Andrea D Phillott1,3, Benjamin C Scheele1,4
1One Health Research Group, College of Public Health, Medicine and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville City, QLD, 4811, Australia.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|February 6, 2016
Summary
Pathogen load overdispersion in wild frogs stabilizes host-pathogen dynamics. Quantifying individual infectious burdens, not just infection status, is crucial for understanding amphibian chytridiomycosis and disease control.
Area of Science:
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Wildlife Disease Ecology
- Amphibian Conservation
Background:
- Pathogens significantly influence wild animal population dynamics.
- Overdispersed pathogen loads (few hosts with heavy burdens) can stabilize host-pathogen interactions.
- This overdispersion effect is understudied in wild microparasitic infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of pathogen load overdispersion in wild amphibian populations.
- To examine the effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) overdispersion on Litoria rheocola.
- To understand how infection intensity influences pathogenicity and population dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Quantified abundance, distribution, and transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in wild Litoria rheocola.
- Measured host survival, infection incidence, and recovery probabilities relative to infectious burden.
- Compared dynamic models with and without pathogen overdispersion.
Main Results:
- Bd load distribution among hosts was highly overdispersed.
- Host survival was significantly related to infection burden.
- Accounting for pathogen overdispersion improved understanding of infection dynamics and disease control implications.
- Infection and recovery patterns varied seasonally, with higher incidence in winter and lower recovery rates during colder months.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen overdispersion is a critical factor in endemic amphibian chytridiomycosis.
- Infection intensity, not just presence/absence, dictates disease impact.
- Management strategies should focus on quantifying individual infectious burdens for microparasitic diseases.
Keywords:
aggregationamphibian declinesfrogmacroparasitemark-recapturemicroparasitemultistatepathogen distributionrecoverytransitionMore Related Videos
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