Abstract
We combine model results with field data for a system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis, to examine how predation may contribute to disease control in multi-host systems. Results show that predation can lead to a marked reduction in the prevalence of infection without leading to a reduction in host population density since mortality due to predation can be compensated by a reduction in disease induced mortality. A key finding therefore is that a population that harbours a virulent infection can be regulated at a similar density by disease at high prevalence or by predation at low prevalence. Predators may therefore provide a key ecosystem service which should be recognised when considering human-carnivore conflicts and the conservation and re-establishment of carnivore populations.
Highlights
We combine model results with field data for a system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis, to examine how predation may contribute to disease control in multi-host systems
Combining theory and empirical data at the system specific level has the potential to further clarify the role of predation in the control of infectious disease reservoirs in wildlife[6]. We investigate this by combining model results with field data for the case study system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a reservoir of tuberculosis, in Asturias in northern Spain
Our findings indicate that wolf predation may contribute to TB control in wild boar, reducing TB prevalence and the release of M. tuberculosis complex (MTC) into the environment
Summary
We combine model results with field data for a system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis, to examine how predation may contribute to disease control in multi-host systems. Model analysis has outlined scenarios in which predation may lead to an increase in disease prevalence – notably when the disease induces a long-lasting immune response[11] This highlights the importance of understanding the case-specific infection dynamics of pathogens in reservoir populations that are subject to predation. Combining theory and empirical data at the system specific level has the potential to further clarify the role of predation in the control of infectious disease reservoirs in wildlife[6] We investigate this by combining model results with field data for the case study system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a reservoir of tuberculosis, in Asturias in northern Spain. Www.nature.com/scientificreports complex network of domestic and wild hosts, including abundant wild ungulates such as the Eurasian wild boar which acts as the primary reservoir of infection[18,23,24]
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