A Community-Ecology Framework for Understanding Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Dynamics

Blaustein, Leon; Ostfeld, Richard S.; Holt, Robert D.

doi:10.1560/ijee.56.3-4.251

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Like many parasites, this archetypal case study for host diversity generating a dilution effect (Lyme disease) has multiple vector species, yet the influence of vector diversity on disease risk is underappreciated (Blaustein et al 2010;Godfray 2013). Variation in the distribution, life history, and behavior of vectors will influence each species' capacity to transmit disease (i.e., vector competence; table 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deconstructing the Impact of Malaria Vector Diversity on Disease Risk

Hoi

Gilbert

Mideo

2020

The American Naturalist

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Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding the impact of host community assemblage on disease risk, yet diversity in disease vectors has rarely been investigated. Using published malaria and mosquito surveys from Kenya, we analyzed the relationship between malaria prevalence and multiple axes of mosquito diversity: abundance, species richness, and composition. We found a net amplification of malaria prevalence by vector species richness, a result of a strong direct positive association between richness and prevalence alongside a weak indirect negative association between the two, mediated through mosquito community composition. One plausible explanation of these patterns is species niche complementarity, whereby less competent vector species contribute to disease transmission by filling spatial or temporal gaps in transmission left by dominant vectors. A greater understanding of vector community assemblage and function, as well as any interactions between host and vector biodiversity, could offer insights to both fundamental and applied ecology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deconstructing the Impact of Malaria Vector Diversity on Disease Risk

Hoi

Gilbert

Mideo

2020

The American Naturalist

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“…Although such interactions occur for vectors of animal and plant pathogens (Blaustein et al. , Johnson et al. ), we focused on plants, given the substantial empirical data assessing effects of species interactions on movement and vital rates of plant‐pathogen vectors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have in turn assessed the roles of vector population dynamics and vector-host-pathogen interactions on the spread of plant pathogens (e.g., Hogenhout et al 2008, Mauck et al 2012, Conway et al 2014. Within food webs, vectors also interact with predators, competitors, and mutualists, and such interactions might affect vector-borne pathogens by altering characteristics of vector populations (Blaustein et al 2010, Seabloom et al 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species interactions affect the spread of vector‐borne plant pathogens independent of transmission mode

Crowder

Borer

et al. 2019

Ecology

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Within food webs, vectors of plant pathogens interact with individuals of other species across multiple trophic levels, including predators, competitors, and mutualists. These interactions may in turn affect vector‐borne pathogens by altering vector fitness and behavior. Predators, for example, consume vectors and reduce their abundance, but often spur movement of vectors as they seek to avoid predation. However, a general framework to predict how species interactions affect vectors of plant pathogens, and the resulting spread of vector‐borne pathogens, is lacking. Here we developed a mathematical model to assess whether interactions such as predation, competition, and mutualism affected the spread of vector‐borne plant pathogens with nonpersistent or persistent transmission modes. We considered transmission mode because interactions affecting vector–host encounter rates were expected to most strongly affect nonpersistent pathogens that are transmitted with short feeding bouts; interactions that affect vector feeding duration were expected to most strongly affect persistent pathogens that require long feeding bouts for transmission. Our results show that interactions that affected vector behavior (feeding duration, vector–host encounter rates) substantially altered rates of spread for vector‐borne plant pathogens, whereas those affecting vector fitness (births, deaths) had relatively small effects. These effects of species interactions were largely independent of transmission mode, except when interactions affected vector–host encounter rates, where effects were strongest for nonpersistent pathogens. Our results suggest that a better understanding of how vectors interact with other species within food webs could enhance our understanding of disease ecology.

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“…This situation could apply to many vernal-pool and container inhabiting organisms. With most such organisms, it has been demonstrated that predation risk, abundance of food resources, and the presence of conspecifics are important factors affecting this decision with gravid females typically avoiding sites with predators and attracted to sites with indication of abundant food for their offspring [6] , [10] – [17] . Regulation of the oviposition behavior of mosquitoes and other bloodsucking insects is an issue that is studied intensively due to its implications for population dynamics, evolutionary trajectories, and pest and disease control [1] , [4] , [10] , [11] , [18] – [25] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hump-Shaped Density-Dependent Regulation of Mosquito Oviposition Site-Selection by Conspecific Immature Stages: Theory, Field Test with Aedes albopictus, and a Meta-Analysis

2014

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Oviposition site selection by gravid females is an important determinant of the distribution, abundance, and dynamics of dipteran hematophagous insects. The presence of conspecific immature stages in a potential oviposition site could, on the one hand, indicate the suitability of that site but on the other hand could indicate the potential for intraspecific competition. In this paper, we present a graphic model suggesting that the trade-off between these two opposing forces could result in a hump-shaped density-dependent relationship between oviposition rate and conspecific immature stage density (hereafter, the “Hump-shaped regulation model”) with positive effects of aggregation prevailing at low densities and negative effect of intraspecific competition prevailing at higher densities. We field-tested the predictions of this model at both the egg- and the larval levels with Aedes albopictus and evaluated if and how these relationships are affected by resource enrichment. We found support for the hump-shaped regulation model at both the larval and the egg levels. Using oviposition cups containing varying numbers of conspecific larvae, we showed that the oviposition activity of Ae. albopictus first increases and then decreases with larvae number. Medium enrichment resulted in higher hatching rate, and demonstrated linear relations for the no-enrichment treatment where larvae density range was low and hump-shaped relationship for the enriched medium that had a wider larvae density range. Using pairs of oviposition cups, we showed that at low egg densities mosquitoes laid more eggs on substrates containing pre-existing eggs. However, at higher egg densities, mosquitoes laid more eggs on a virgin substrate. Based on our results and on a meta-analysis, we suggest that due to study design or methodological shortcomings the hump-shaped regulation model is often left undetected and that it is likely to be more common than currently thought.

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A Community-Ecology Framework for Understanding Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Dynamics

Cited by 7 publications

References 49 publications

Deconstructing the Impact of Malaria Vector Diversity on Disease Risk

Deconstructing the Impact of Malaria Vector Diversity on Disease Risk

Species interactions affect the spread of vector‐borne plant pathogens independent of transmission mode

Hump-Shaped Density-Dependent Regulation of Mosquito Oviposition Site-Selection by Conspecific Immature Stages: Theory, Field Test with Aedes albopictus, and a Meta-Analysis

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