Wolves contribute to disease control in a multi-host system. Scientific reports.

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Tanner, Eleanor, White, A., Acevedo Lavandera, Pelayo, Balseiro, Ana, Marcos, J, Gortázar, Christian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2019
• Subjects: Wolves (Canis lupus); Wild boar (Sus scrofa); Tuberculosis; Predation; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10578/23858; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44148-9

We combine model results with field data for a system of wolves (Canis lupus) that prey on wild boar (Sus scrofa), a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis, to examine how predation may contribute to disease control in multi-host systems. Results show that predation can lead to a marked reduction in the prevalence of infection without leading to a reduction in host population density since mortality due to predation can be compensated by a reduction in disease induced mortality. A key finding therefore is that a population that harbours a virulent infection can be regulated at a similar density by disease at high prevalence or by predation at low prevalence. Predators may therefore provide a key ecosystem service which should be recognised when considering human-carnivore conflicts and the conservation and re-establishment of carnivore populations.