Permanent Link:

https://digital.lib.usf.edu/SFS0069849/00001

Material Information

Title:

Drivers of variation in species impacts for a multi-host fungal disease of bats

Series Title:

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Creator:

Langwig, Kate E.
Frick, Winifred F.
Hoyt, Joseph R.
Parise, Katy L.
Drees, Kevin P.
Kunz, Thomas H.
Foster, Jeffrey T.
Kilpatrick, A. M.

Publication Date:

10/24/16

Language:

English

Subjects

Genre:

serial ( sobekcm )

Notes

Abstract:

Disease can play an important role in structuring species communities because the effects of disease vary among hosts; some species are driven towards extinction, while others suffer relatively little impact. Why disease impacts vary among host species remains poorly understood for most multi-host pathogens, and factors allowing less-susceptible species to persist could be useful in conserving highly affected species. White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease of bats, has decimated some species while sympatric and closely related species have experienced little effect. We analysed data on infection prevalence, fungal loads and environmental factors to determine how variation in infection among sympatric host species influenced the severity of WNS population impacts. Intense transmission resulted in almost uniformly high prevalence in all species. By contrast, fungal loads varied over 3 orders of magnitude among species, and explained 98% of the variation among species in disease impacts. Fungal loads increased with hibernating roosting temperatures, with bats roosting at warmer temperatures having higher fungal loads and suffering greater WNS impacts. We also found evidence of a threshold fungal load, above which the probability of mortality may increase sharply, and this threshold was similar for multiple species. This study demonstrates how differences in behavioural traits among species—in this case microclimate preferences—that may have been previously adaptive can be deleterious after the introduction of a new pathogen. Management to reduce pathogen loads rather than exposure may be an effective way of reducing disease impact and preventing species extinctions.

Original Version:

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Vol. 371, no. 1709 (10/24/16).

Record Information

Source Institution:

University of South Florida Library

Holding Location:

University of South Florida

Rights Management:

This object is protected by copyright, and is made available here for research and educational purposes. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the object beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.

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University of South Florida
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Postcard Information

Format:

serial