High-resolution contact networks of free-ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris and implications for transmission of infection.

ABSTRACT: Contact patterns strongly influence the dynamics of disease transmission in both human and non-human animal populations. Domestic dogs Canis familiaris are a social species and are a reservoir for several zoonotic infections, yet few studies have empirically determined contact patterns within dog populations. Using high-resolution proximity logging technology, we characterised the contact networks of free-ranging domestic dogs from two settlements (n = 108 dogs, covering >80% of the population in each settlement) in rural Chad. We used these data to simulate the transmission of an infection comparable to rabies and investigated the effects of including observed contact heterogeneities on epidemic outcomes. We found that dog contact networks displayed considerable heterogeneity, particularl

SUBMITTER: Wilson-Aggarwal JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6658143 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature