Social interactions do not affect mycoplasma infection in griffon vultures

Abstract

Uncovering the ways in which pathogens spread has important implications for population health and management. Pathogen transmission is influenced by various factors, including patterns of social interactions and shared use of space. We aim to understand how the social behavior of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), a species of conservation interest, influences the presence or absence of mycoplasma, a group of bacteria known to cause respiratory diseases in birds. We investigated how direct and indirect social interactions of griffon vultures in the wild, in different social situations, impacted the mycoplasma infection status. We inferred interactions from high-resolution Global Positioning system (GPS) tracking data. Specifically, we assessed how social behavior affects infection status when vultures share feeding and roosting locations, either at the same time (direct interactions) or subsequently, when space use is asynchronous (indirect interactions). We did not detect a significant effect of any type of social interaction on infection status. However, we observed a high population prevalence of Mycoplasma spp., suggesting that other factors might be more important than social interactions in determining disease dynamics in this population. Uncovering the mechanisms that underlie infection status in wildlife is crucial for maintaining viable populations, designing containment management actions, and gaining insights into the ecological mechanisms that drive infectious disease dynamics.