Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. / Bailes, Emily Jane; Bagi, Judit; Coltman, Jake et al.
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 287, No. 1918, 08.01.2020, p. 1-9.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

HarvardHarvard

Bailes, EJ, Bagi, J, Coltman, J, Fountain, MT, Wilfert, L & Brown, MJF 2020, 'Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences, vol. 287, no. 1918, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

APA

Bailes, E. J., Bagi, J., Coltman, J., Fountain, M. T., Wilfert, L., & Brown, M. J. F. (2020). Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences, 287(1918), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

CBE

Bailes EJ, Bagi J, Coltman J, Fountain MT, Wilfert L, Brown MJF. 2020. Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences. 287(1918):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

MLA

Bailes, Emily Jane et al. "Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences. 2020, 287(1918). 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

VancouverVancouver

Bailes EJ, Bagi J, Coltman J, Fountain MT, Wilfert L, Brown MJF. Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences. 2020 Jan 8;287(1918):1-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

Author

Bailes, Emily Jane ; Bagi, Judit ; Coltman, Jake et al. / Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences. 2020 ; Vol. 287, No. 1918. pp. 1-9.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator

AU - Bailes, Emily Jane

AU - Bagi, Judit

AU - Coltman, Jake

AU - Fountain, Michelle T

AU - Wilfert, Lena

AU - Brown, Mark J F

PY - 2020/1/8

Y1 - 2020/1/8

N2 - Supplemental feeding of wildlife populations can locally increase the density of individuals, which may in turn impact disease dynamics. Flower strips are a widely-used intervention in intensive agricultural systems to nutritionally support pollinators such as bees. Using a controlled experimental semi-field design, we asked how density impacts transmission of a virus and a trypanosome parasite in bumblebees. We manipulated bumblebee density by using different numbers of colonies within the same area of floral resource. In high density compartments, slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) was transmitted more quickly, resulting in higher prevalence and level of infection in bumblebee hosts. In contrast, there was no impact of density on the transmission of the trypanosome Crithidia bombi, which may reflect the ease with which this parasite is transmitted. These results suggest that agri-environment schemes such as flower strips, which are known to enhance the nutrition and survival of bumblebees, may also have negative impacts on pollinators through enhanced disease transmission. Future studies should assess how changing the design of these schemes could minimise disease transmission and thus maximise their health benefits to wild pollinators.

AB - Supplemental feeding of wildlife populations can locally increase the density of individuals, which may in turn impact disease dynamics. Flower strips are a widely-used intervention in intensive agricultural systems to nutritionally support pollinators such as bees. Using a controlled experimental semi-field design, we asked how density impacts transmission of a virus and a trypanosome parasite in bumblebees. We manipulated bumblebee density by using different numbers of colonies within the same area of floral resource. In high density compartments, slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) was transmitted more quickly, resulting in higher prevalence and level of infection in bumblebee hosts. In contrast, there was no impact of density on the transmission of the trypanosome Crithidia bombi, which may reflect the ease with which this parasite is transmitted. These results suggest that agri-environment schemes such as flower strips, which are known to enhance the nutrition and survival of bumblebees, may also have negative impacts on pollinators through enhanced disease transmission. Future studies should assess how changing the design of these schemes could minimise disease transmission and thus maximise their health benefits to wild pollinators.

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969

M3 - Article

VL - 287

SP - 1

EP - 9

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences

SN - 0080-4649

IS - 1918

ER -