Vole outbreaks may induce a tularemia disease pit that prevents Iberian hare population recovery in NW Spain.

ABSTRACT: Iberian hare populations have suffered severe declines during recent decades in Spain. Between 1970 and 1990s, a rapid increase in irrigation crop surface in NW Spain (Castilla-y-León region) was followed by a common vole massive range expansion and complete colonization of lowland irrigated agricultural landscapes from mountainous habitats. The subsequent large cyclic fluctuations in abundance of colonizing common voles have contributed to a periodic amplification of Francisella tularensis, the etiological agent that causes human tularemia outbreaks in the region. Tularemia is a fatal disease to lagomorphs, so we hypothesize that vole outbreaks would lead to disease spill over to Iberian hares, increasing prevalence of tularemia and declines among hare populations. Here we report on the p

SUBMITTER: Rouco C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9995447 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature