Effects of an invasive forest pathogen on abundance of ticks and their vertebrate hosts in a California Lyme disease focus

Swei, Andrea; Ostfeld, Richard S.; Lane, Robert S.; Briggs, Cheryl J.

doi:10.1007/s00442-010-1796-9

Cited by 33 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…California vole (Microtus californicus), western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and Sorex spp. shrews), but in such low numbers and tick burdens [25] that they were not included in our analyses of tick burden. The western grey squirrel (S. griseus) is a potentially important reservoir but was not encountered in our study and has been difficult to trap by others on our sites [16].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the experimental removal of lizards on Lyme disease risk

Swei¹,

Ostfeld

Lane

et al. 2011

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The distribution of vector meals in the host community is an important element of understanding and predicting vector-borne disease risk. Lizards (such as the western fence lizard; Sceloporus occidentalis) play a unique role in Lyme disease ecology in the far-western United States. Lizards rather than mammals serve as the blood meal hosts for a large fraction of larval and nymphal western black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus-the vector for Lyme disease in that region) but are not competent reservoirs for the pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi. Prior studies have suggested that the net effect of lizards is to reduce risk of human exposure to Lyme disease, a hypothesis that we tested experimentally. Following experimental removal of lizards, we documented incomplete host switching by larval ticks (5.19%) from lizards to other hosts. Larval tick burdens increased on woodrats, a competent reservoir, but not on deer mice, a less competent pathogen reservoir. However, most larvae failed to find an alternate host. This resulted in significantly lower densities of nymphal ticks the following year. Unexpectedly, the removal of reservoir-incompetent lizards did not cause an increase in nymphal tick infection prevalence. The net result of lizard removal was a decrease in the density of infected nymphal ticks, and therefore a decreased risk to humans of Lyme disease. Our results indicate that an incompetent reservoir for a pathogen may, in fact, increase disease risk through the maintenance of higher vector density and therefore, higher density of infected vectors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the experimental removal of lizards on Lyme disease risk

Swei¹,

Ostfeld

Lane

et al. 2011

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Small mammal hosts of I. pacificus were collected from Marin County in 2006, 2007 and 2008 by live-trapping with extra-long Sherman traps (7.6 × 9.5 × 30.5 cm; H.B. Sherman Traps, Tallahassee, FL) on the tick collection plots (Swei et al, 2011b). Detailed animal handling methods are provided in Swei et al (2011b).…”

Section: Field Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sherman Traps, Tallahassee, FL) on the tick collection plots (Swei et al, 2011b). Detailed animal handling methods are provided in Swei et al (2011b). Briefly, all trapped animals were anesthetized with a 5% solution of isoflurane before two 2-mm ear punch biopsies were collected, one from each ear.…”

Section: Field Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative genetic diversity of Lyme disease bacteria in Northern Californian ticks and their vertebrate hosts

Swei

Bowie

2015

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

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“…Dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes), brush mice (Peromyscus boylii) and California mice (Peromyscus californicus) were more abundant in diseased forests as loss of trees infected with P. ramorum pathogen changed the habitat structure and resulted in increased shrub cover, more coarse woody debris and low tree densities, which were favourable to small mammals (Tempel and Tietje 2006). Similarly in the San Francisco Bay area in California, the presence of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) was positively correlated with forests disturbed by SOD although, conversely, the presence of dusky-footed woodrats was negatively correlated with SOD disturbance at this site (Swei et al 2011).…”

Section: Impact Of the Phytophthora Pathogen On Faunamentioning

confidence: 80%

The plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi influences habitat use by the obligate nectarivore honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus)

2016

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Introduced plant pathogens can devastate susceptible plant communities, and consequently impact on animal communities reliant on plants for food and habitat. Specifically, plant pathogens change the floristic diversity of vegetation communities, thereby reducing availability of food sources for fauna (e.g. pollen and nectar) and result in major changes to habitat structure when canopy and understorey plant species succumb to disease. Phytophthora cinnamomi poses a threat to flowering plant species (e.g. Banksia species) which are important food sources for nectarivorous fauna. The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus) is the only obligate nectarivorous non-flying mammal living on a restrictive diet of nectar and pollen; consequently, these tiny mammals are likely to be particularly vulnerable to the landscape-wide devastation caused by P. cinnamomi. We investigated habitat selection by honey possums in a vegetation community infested with P. cinnamomi to determine how these mammals respond to habitat affected by this pathogen. Over four seasons, 18 honey possums were fitted with radio-transmitters and tracked to identify habitat preferences. Vegetation surveys were compared for locations selected by honey possums (as determined from tracking) and randomly selected sites.Radio-tracking revealed that sites selected by honey possums were significantly taller, denser, and more floristically diverse than their paired random locations. The presence of P. cinnamomi influences habitat use by honey possums, but animals show resilience in terms of using the best of what is available in both P. cinnamomi-affected and unaffected locations. Habitat patches comprising less susceptible species, or plants that have yet to succumb to infection, provide refuge and food resources for honey possums. Management to reduce the spread of existing P. cinnamomi infestations and prevent contamination of new locations will benefit vegetation communities and associated faunal communities, while identifying honey possum food plant species that are resilient to the pathogen may support revegetation attempts.

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Effects of an invasive forest pathogen on abundance of ticks and their vertebrate hosts in a California Lyme disease focus

Cited by 33 publications

References 54 publications

Impact of the experimental removal of lizards on Lyme disease risk

Impact of the experimental removal of lizards on Lyme disease risk

Comparative genetic diversity of Lyme disease bacteria in Northern Californian ticks and their vertebrate hosts

The plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi influences habitat use by the obligate nectarivore honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus)

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