Pliant pathogens: Estimating viral spread when confronted with new vector, host, and environmental conditions

Area of Science:

• Plant pathology
• Virology
• Ecology

Background:

• Pathogen spread is influenced by environmental factors and host/vector interactions.
• Understanding pathogen adaptation is crucial for predicting disease dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of novel host, vector, and nutrient conditions on the spread rate of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus PAV (BYDV-PAV).
• To assess the pathogen's robustness and adaptability to environmental changes.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of BYDV-PAV into new host and vector species with altered nutrient availability.
• Quantification of pathogen prevalence over two serial inoculations.
• Parameterization of a dynamical disease spread model using individual-level transmission rates.

Main Results:

• Increased phosphorus supply temporarily reduced BYDV-PAV transmission.
• Shifting to new host or vector species did not significantly affect infection prevalence.
• Infection prevalence recovered after the second inoculation, indicating pathogen resilience.

Conclusions:

• BYDV-PAV demonstrates significant robustness to alterations in its biotic and abiotic environment.
• Longitudinal data are essential for accurate disease risk projection in novel environments, surpassing snapshot assessments.