The ecology of host-vector-pathogen interactions and tick borne disease risk
There is growing recognition that changes in host community ecology and interactions in the food chain can contribute to the emergence of infectious diseases. Many diseases cycle within a single species or area, but are transmitted to humans from their wildlife host either by direct contact, or more often by an arthropod vector. Because most infectious pathogens which can be transmitted across species are harbored by wildlife that occupy low levels in the food chain (particularly rodents), predation of these hosts may be critical to disease suppression. However, this is not well understood. A familiar case of disease emergence that is driven by changes in the host community is Lyme disease-the most prevalent vector-borne disease in North America. The increases in Lyme disease in the northeastern and midwestern USA over the past three decades coincide with a range-wide decline of a key small mammal predator, the red fox, likely due to expansion of coyote populations. This research explores the hypothesis that changes in predator community structure have facilitated the emergence of Lyme disease by sampling the abundance and infection prevalence of the vector and host community in fox-dominated and coyote-dominated sites and by incorporating predation and vertebrate community structure into disease models.
The postdoctoral fellow will develop expertise in laboratory techniques to assay vector and hosts for pathogen infection, as well as statistical and analytical techniques for modeling the ecological drivers of infectious disease. The results of this research may have profound policy implications regarding how wildlife is managed while accounting for public health considerations.
