Hidden cost of disease in a free-ranging ungulate: brucellosis reduces mid-winter pregnancy in elk.

ABSTRACT: Demonstrating disease impacts on the vital rates of free-ranging mammalian hosts typically requires intensive, long-term study. Evidence for chronic pathogens affecting reproduction but not survival is rare, but has the potential for wide-ranging effects. Accurately quantifying disease-associated reductions in fecundity is important for advancing theory, generating accurate predictive models, and achieving effective management. We investigated the impacts of brucellosis (Brucella abortus) on elk (Cervus canadensis) productivity using serological data from over 6,000 captures since 1990 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. Over 1,000 of these records included known age and pregnancy status. Using Bayesian multilevel models, we estimated the age-specific pregnancy probabi

SUBMITTER: Cotterill GG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6262735 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature