title: Interactions between tick and transmitted pathogens evolved to minimise competition through nested and coherent networks.
abstract: Natural foci of ticks, pathogens, and vertebrate reservoirs display complex relationships that are key to the circulation of pathogens and infection dynamics through the landscape. However, knowledge of the interaction networks involved in transmission of tick-borne pathogens are limited because empirical studies are commonly incomplete or performed at small spatial scales. Here, we applied the methodology of ecological networks to quantify >14,000 interactions among ticks, vertebrates, and pathogens in the western Palearctic. These natural networks are highly structured, modular, coherent, and nested to some degree. We found that the large number of vertebrates in the network contributes to its robustness and persistence. Its structure reduces interspecific competition and allows ample but modular circulation of transmitted pathogens among vertebrates. Accounting for domesticated hosts collapses the network's modular structure, linking groups of hosts that were previously unconnected and increasing the circulation of pathogens. This framework indicates that ticks and vertebrates interact along the shared environmental gradient, while pathogens are linked to groups of phylogenetically close reservoirs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estrada-Peña
authors.affiliation: SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain, and Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.affiliation: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Millbrook, NY 12545-0129, USA.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ostfeld
authors.affiliation: Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), INSERM U1019 - CNRS UMR 8204, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabezas-Cruz
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D017753:Ecosystem; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b