Biodiversity and Infectious Disease Risk

最近的证据表明，宿主社区的生物多样性介导了寄生虫在人类和其他物种中的传播;然而，仔细的实地研究和对照实验是必要的，以了解这些相互作用的性质和后果。本项目通过实地研究和操作实验，探讨引起鲑鱼旋转病的脑碘泡虫双宿主系统中生物多样性的影响。漩涡病是由河流沉积物中的蠕虫传播给鱼类的。蠕虫群落相对简单，由相互作用的类群组成，它们与寄生虫相互作用的方式不同，传播寄生虫的能力也不同。因此，蠕虫群落结构有很大的潜力影响寄生虫向鱼类的传播。该项目的目标如下：（1）使用现场测定确定蠕虫分类群的相对和绝对丰度与鱼病之间的统计相关性，（2）量化能够传播寄生虫的蠕虫分类群内和蠕虫分类群之间的寄生虫传播的遗传变异量，（3）检查蠕虫分类群之间的相互作用如何影响产生的寄生虫孢子的数量，从而影响鱼病，（4）利用目标（1）-（3）的数据，开发预测鱼病风险的统计模型。该项目的更广泛影响包括对来自不同群体的高中、本科和研究生进行科学研究气候、行为和文化方面的培训。研究方法强调假设检验，一对一的指导，多样性和包容性。对社会的好处是通过补充性的实地分析、操纵性实验和综合统计模型产生的，这些模型不仅可用于发展生态理论，而且可用于以研究为基础的管理。

Recent evidence suggests that the biodiversity of host communities mediates the transmission of parasites in humans and other species; however, careful field studies and controlled experiments are necessary to understand the nature and consequences of these interactions. This project examines the influence of biodiversity in the two-host system of Myxobolus cerebralis, the parasite that causes salmonid whirling disease, using field studies and manipulative experiments. Whirling disease is transmitted to fish by stream sediment-dwelling worms. Worm communities are relatively simple and comprised of taxa that interact with each other, differ in the way in which they interact with the parasite, and differ in abilities to transmit the parasite. Thus, there is great potential for worm community structure to influence parasite transmission to fish. This project has the following goals: (1) determine statistical correlations between the relative and absolute abundances of the worm taxa and fish disease using field assays, (2) quantify the amount of genetic variation for parasite transmission within and among the worm taxa that can transmit the parasite, (3) examine how interactions among worm taxa affect the number of parasite spores produced, and thus fish disease, in laboratory experiments, and (4) develop statistical models to predict fish disease risk using data from goals (1)-(3). Broader impacts of this project include training high school, undergraduate and graduate level students from diverse groups in the climate, conduct and culture of scientific research. The research approach highlights hypothesis testing, one-on-one mentoring, diversity, and inclusion. Benefits to society emerge through the complementary field assays, manipulative experiments and synthetic statistical models that can be used not only to develop ecological theory, but also in research-based management.