Daversa, DR;
Manica, A;
Bosch, J;
Jolles, JW;
Garner, TWJ;
(2017)
Routine habitat switching alters the likelihood and persistence of infection with a pathogenic parasite.
Functional Ecology
10.1111/1365-2435.13038.
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Abstract
1. Animals switch habitats on a regular basis, and when habitats vary in suitability for parasitism, routine habitat switching alters the frequency of parasite exposure and may affect post-infection parasite proliferation. However, the effects of routine habitat switching on infection dynamics are not well understood. 2. We performed infection experiments, behavioural observations, and field surveillance to evaluate how routine habitat switching by adult alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) influences infection dynamics of the pathogenic parasite, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). 3. We show that when newts are exposed to equal total doses of Bd in aquatic habitats, differences in exposure frequency and post-exposure habitat alter infection trajectories: newts developed more infections that persisted longer when doses were broken into multiple, reduced-intensity exposures. Intensity and persistence of infections was reduced among newts that were switched to terrestrial habitats following exposure. 4. When presented with a choice of habitats, newts did not avoid exposure to Bd, but heavily infected newts were more prone to reduce time spent in water. 5. Accounting for routine switching between aquatic and terrestrial habitat in the experiments generated distributions of infection loads that were consistent with those in two populations of wild newts. 6. Together, these findings emphasize that differential habitat use and behaviours associated with daily movement can be important ecological determinants of infection risk and severity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Routine habitat switching alters the likelihood and persistence of infection with a pathogenic parasite |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1365-2435.13038 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13038 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2018 The Author(s). Functional Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society. |
| Keywords: | Host-parasite interactions; Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ; Habitat use; Host behaviour; Behaviour; Environmental heterogeneity; Disease risk |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10039963 |
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