Frequency-dependent transmission of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in eastern newts.

ABSTRACT: Transmission is the fundamental process whereby pathogens infect their hosts and spread through populations, and can be characterized using mathematical functions. The functional form of transmission for emerging pathogens can determine pathogen impacts on host populations and can inform the efficacy of disease management strategies. By directly measuring transmission between infected and susceptible adult eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in aquatic mesocosms, we identified the most plausible transmission function for the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Although we considered a range of possible transmission functions, we found that Bsal transmission was best explained by pure frequency dependence. We observed that >90% of susceptible n

SUBMITTER: Tompros A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9290712 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature