The role of social cognition in parasite and pathogen avoidance

Abstract

The acquisition and use of social information are integral to social behaviour and parasite/pathogen avoidance. This involves social cognition which encompasses mechanisms for acquiring, processing, retaining and acting on social information. Social cognition entails the acquisition of social information about others (i.e. social recognition) and from others (i.e. social learning). Social cognition involves assessing other individuals and their infection status and the pathogen and parasite threat they pose and deciding about when and how to interact with them. Social cognition provides a framework for examining pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours and their associated neurobiological mechanisms. Here, we briefly consider the relationships between social cognition and olfactory-mediated pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours. We briefly discuss aspects of (i) social recognition of actual and potentially infected individuals and the impact of parasite/pathogen threat on mate and social partner choice; (ii) the roles of 'out-groups' (strangers, unfamiliar individuals) and 'in-groups' (familiar individuals) in the expression of parasite/pathogen avoidance behaviours; (iii) individual and social learning, i.e. the utilization of the pathogen recognition and avoidance responses of others; and (iv) the neurobiological mechanisms, in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin and steroid hormones (oestrogens) associated with social cognition and parasite/pathogen avoidance.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.

Disease avoidance, and breeding group age and size condition the dispersal patterns of western lowland gorilla females

“…), chemical cues (Behringer et al. , Kavaliers and Choleris ), or visual sickness symptoms (Axelsson et al. ).…”

Social neuroscience of disgust

“…Social information about potential pathogen threat in the absence of any behavioral interactions can also lead to significant emotional, motivational and neurobiological responses affecting the expression of disgust and subsequent avoidance behavior . As indicated this necessitates efficient cognitive mechanisms and the elicitation of both reactive and predictive, preparatory behavioral avoidance and adaptive emotional and motivational responses.…”

“…Pathogen/parasite and infection avoidance behaviors of hosts can range from either directly avoiding or removing parasites or pathogen themselves, avoiding conspecifics with signs of infection or avoiding toxins and contaminated areas . Hosts can avoid interacting with individuals with whom they are likely to share parasites, especially if the conspecifics show signs of infection (eg, rats avoid interacting with bacterial treated conspecifics, primates avoid grooming group members infected by orofecally transmitted parasites). If hosts can detect infective and threatening parasites they can avoid them directly (eg, mice self‐bury to avoid biting and bot flies, cattle enter ponds to evade warble flies .…”

“…Social factors have a key role in pathogen and toxin detection and avoidance, with it early on being hypothesized that various aspects of primate social behavior evolved to reduce the spread of new and existing parasites and pathogens . This involves social cognition and the acquisition and use of social information either actively coming as direct signals from others (eg, alarm calls), or arising indirectly as passive cues or by‐products of the behavior and decisions of others with similar needs, requirements, and facing common threats (eg, act of fleeing, metabolic excretions and odors indicating presence and condition) …”

“…These systems can quickly respond to shifts in the social environment associated with pathogen/toxin threat and mediate rapid changes in cognitive and motivational processes and the expression of disgust. Here, we focus on nonapeptides (oxytocin) and steroid hormones (estrogens) that are involved in the regulation of social behavior and cognition as well as the detection and avoidance of pathogens and toxins …”