Seasonal variation in daily patterns of social contacts in the European badger Meles meles.

ABSTRACT: Social interactions among hosts influence the persistence and spread of infectious pathogens. Daily and seasonal variation in the frequency and type of social interactions will play an important role in disease epidemiology and, alongside other factors, may have an influence on wider disease dynamics by causing seasonal forcing of infection, especially if the seasonal variation experienced by a population is considerable. We explored temporal variation in within-group contacts in a high-density population of European badgers Meles meles naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis). Summer contacts were more likely and of longer duration during the daytime, while the frequency and duration of winter contacts did not differ between da

SUBMITTER: Silk MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5677474 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature