Let’s improve disease metrics in wildlife: an example with Darwin’s frogs infected by the deadly chytrid fungus

Hugo Sentenac discusses theirs and colleagues’ recent research article which uses data from a fungal pathogen and Darwin’s frogs to assess the magnitude of prevalence bias, as well as illustrate how it can impact disease risk assessment. Infectious diseases: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Certain infectious diseases have wrought havoc in nature. One dramatic example is the amphibian chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.  It has … Continue reading Let’s improve disease metrics in wildlife: an example with Darwin’s frogs infected by the deadly chytrid fungus

Predator and scavenger movements as opportunities for pathogen spread among endangered seabirds

Infectious diseases have recently been acknowledged as an important threat for wild populations, notably seabirds. In order to implement efficient surveillance and management programmes, it is critical to look beyond the sick individuals to identify the individuals or species involved in cryptic epidemiological processes, such as pathogen spread. Amandine Gamble et al. summarise their recent research on the potential role of predators and scavengers in … Continue reading Predator and scavenger movements as opportunities for pathogen spread among endangered seabirds

Spotlight: Forecasting and preventing the next outbreak – perspectives on infectious disease management

The Spotlight for issue 54:3 is on wildlife diseases. This post is written by Samantha Rumschlag and Jeremy Cohen. All five Spotlight papers are available to read here. In an ever-changing world, the risk of disease emergence is on the rise. As the climate warms, ranges of parasites and disease vectors are predicted to shift, exposing naïve populations to new threats. Humans are put in closer … Continue reading Spotlight: Forecasting and preventing the next outbreak – perspectives on infectious disease management

Do we have a clue about the role of wildlife in antimicrobial resistance dynamics?

In this post, Marion Vittecoq discusses her Review paper published today in Journal of Applied Ecology ‘Antimicrobial resistance in wildlife‘ A crucial issue Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread is of major concern for human health and associated with growing economical issues. While it is increasingly hypothesized that wildlife could play an important role in antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (AMRB) dynamics, empirical data remain scarce at the moment. Nevertheless … Continue reading Do we have a clue about the role of wildlife in antimicrobial resistance dynamics?