Role of wildlife in the ecology of multihost pathogens

野生动物在多宿主病原体生态中的作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-03968
• 负责人: Jardine, Claire
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: University of Guelph
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=654520
• 关键词: Role; wildlife; ecology; multihost; pathogens

The ability of pathogens to infect multiple hosts, particularly wildlife, is an important risk factor for disease emergence in humans and livestock. Understanding the dynamics of infectious agents in multihost communities is essential for reducing disease threats to humans, yet we often lack even basic information about the role of wildlife in the ecology of multihost pathogens. The overall goal of my research program is to build a mechanistic understanding of multi-host pathogen systems in order to generate a scientific basis for disease preparedness and prevention strategies aimed at controlling infectious diseases affecting humans and livestock. *** This research proposal is focused on two host-pathogen systems: 1) Campylobacter, an important cause of bacterial enteritis in humans in Canada, at the wildlife-livestock interface, and 2) Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, in wildlife hosts and vectors. Although livestock are the primary reservoir of Campylobacter, this pathogen is also found at very high prevalence in a variety of wildlife species. However, the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of Campylobacter on farms remains unclear because there is conflicting evidence as to whether wildlife carry livestock strains of Campylobacter. My first objective is to a) determine the role of wildlife in the maintenance of Campylobacter on farms, and b) characterize the environmental and demographic factors affecting Campylobacter occurrence in wildlife. *** The ecology of the Lyme disease system is complex, due in part to the fact that the ticks are capable of feeding on almost any vertebrate host, but host species vary greatly in their ability to manage tick loads through grooming and in their competency as hosts (i.e., their ability to become infected with and transmit B. burgdorferi). For this reason, host biodiversity is thought to be critical in determining the spread of Lyme disease and Lyme disease risk to humans. My second objective is to a) compare the relative roles of birds, mammals, and reptiles as hosts for subadult ticks and as potential reservoirs of B. burgdorferi and b) assess the impact of wildlife host diversity on disease risk to humans. *** My proposed research combines field studies of hosts, molecular characterization of pathogens, and statistical modelling in order to better understand how pathogens are maintained in wildlife populations and to establish transmission dynamics in two important multihost pathogen systems. *** ******

病原体感染多种宿主，特别是野生动物的能力是人类和牲畜出现疾病的一个重要风险因素。 了解多宿主社区中传染性病原体的动态对于减少对人类的疾病威胁至关重要，但我们往往缺乏有关野生动物在多宿主病原体生态学中作用的基本信息。我的研究计划的总体目标是建立一个多宿主病原体系统的机械理解，以产生疾病准备和预防战略，旨在控制影响人类和牲畜的传染病的科学基础。* 本研究提案侧重于两个宿主-病原体系统：1）弯曲杆菌，在加拿大野生动物-牲畜界面的人类细菌性肠炎的重要原因，和2）莱姆病病原体伯氏疏螺旋体，在野生动物宿主和载体中。虽然牲畜是弯曲杆菌的主要宿主，但这种病原体在各种野生动物物种中也有很高的流行率。然而，野生动物在农场弯曲杆菌流行病学中的作用仍然不清楚，因为关于野生动物是否携带弯曲杆菌的牲畜菌株存在相互矛盾的证据。我的第一个目标是a）确定野生动物在农场维持弯曲杆菌中的作用，和B）描述影响野生动物中弯曲杆菌发生的环境和人口因素。 * 莱姆病系统的生态学是复杂的，部分原因是蜱能够以几乎任何脊椎动物宿主为食，但宿主物种在通过梳理管理蜱负荷的能力和作为宿主的能力方面差异很大（即，他们感染和传播B的能力。burgdorferi）。因此，宿主生物多样性被认为是决定莱姆病传播和莱姆病对人类风险的关键。 我的第二个目标是a）比较鸟类、哺乳动物和爬行动物作为亚成体蜱的宿主和作为B的潜在宿主的相对作用。burgdorferi和B）评估野生动物宿主多样性对人类疾病风险的影响。 * 我提议的研究结合了宿主的实地研究，病原体的分子特征和统计建模，以便更好地了解病原体如何在野生动物种群中维持，并在两个重要的多宿主病原体系统中建立传播动力学。 *** ******