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Maintenance of brucellosis in Yellowstone bison: linking seasonal food resources, host–pathogen interaction, and life‐history trade‐offs
- Source :
- Ecology and Evolution
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2015.
-
Abstract
- The seasonal availability of food resources is an important factor shaping the life-history strategies of organisms. During times of nutritional restriction, physiological trade-offs can induce periods of immune suppression, thereby increasing susceptibility to infectious disease. Our goal was to provide a conceptual framework describing how the endemic level bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus) may be maintained in Yellowstone bison based on the seasonality of food resources and the life-history strategies of the host and pathogen. Our analysis was based on active B. abortus infection (measured via bacterial culture), nutritional indicators (measured as metabolites and hormones in plasma), and carcass measurements of 402 slaughtered bison. Data from Yellowstone bison were used to investigate (1) whether seasonal changes in diet quality affect nutritional condition and coincide with the reproductive needs of female bison; (2) whether active B. abortus infection and infection intensities vary with host nutrition and nutritional condition; and (3) the evidence for seasonal changes in immune responses, which may offer protection against B. abortus, in relation to nutritional condition. Female bison experienced a decline in nutritional condition during winter as reproductive demands of late gestation increased while forage quality and availability declined. Active B. abortus infection was negatively associated with bison age and nutritional condition, with the intensity of infection negatively associated with indicators of nutrition (e.g., dietary protein and energy) and body weight. Data suggest that protective cell-mediated immune responses may be reduced during the B. abortus transmission period, which coincides with nutritional insufficiencies and elevated reproductive demands during spring. Our results illustrate how seasonal food restriction can drive physiological trade-offs that suppress immune function and create infection and transmission opportunities for pathogens.
- Subjects :
- Host–pathogen interaction
Brucella abortus
Biology
leptin
Age
Immune system
interferon-γ
medicine
Life history
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Original Research
Nature and Landscape Conservation
Ecology
Trade offs
Brucellosis
medicine.disease
condition
Food resources
nutrition
Infectious disease (medical specialty)
immune
diet
protein
energy
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20457758
- Volume :
- 5
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Ecology and Evolution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d712e3910b1bbefa22aa21cb73bafa52
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1633