Horizontal disease transmission in lions from behavioural interfaces via social network analysis
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Horizontal disease transmission in lions from behavioural interfaces via social network analysis N. T. Maruping-Mzileni 1
&
S. M. Ferreira 2 & P. J. Funston 3 & F. Kalala Mutombo 4 & V. Goodall 5
Received: 1 July 2019 / Accepted: 10 August 2020 # Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland 2020
Abstract The degree of relatedness and an interacting unifying central member can exacerbate disease transmission within a social group. The severity of the disease depends on the route, dose and frequency of infection. Group-living social mammals thus have the ability to exacerbate the spread of the disease. Lions Panthera leo are social carnivores with individuals interacting on a regular basis. We used observations of lion behaviours to define potential transmission routes between individuals and the likely spread of diseases in the lion population of the Kruger National Park. This allowed description of the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis to mimic and predict the potential rate of horizontal disease transmission within lion prides. Social network analysis allowed us to identify the most important pride members and the implications of interactions with these members for spreading disease in prides. Three prides in the southern region of the Kruger National Park comprised degrees of relatedness within prides that predict variable links between pride members. The interactive behaviour of young lions with each other, a key element of learning in social mammals, play a key role in dictating contact rates that enhance disease transmission. Even so, within prides, R0 < 1 predicts that bovine tuberculosis should disappear from a pride. Persistence of the disease as noted for lions in Kruger can only realize through unlikely transmissions or through feeding on infected prey. Our results support lions as a spill-over host. Keywords Lion . Kruger National Park . Social network analysis . Bovine tuberculosis . Horizontal transmission . Centrality
Introduction Group living is beneficial, but carries costs for individuals and a population. Benefits accrue through protection against intraspecific competition (Arsenault and Owen-Smith 2002) or N. T. Maruping-Mzileni, S. M. Ferreira, P. J. Funston, F. Kalala Mutombo and V. Goodall contributed equally to this work. Communicated by: Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas * N. T. Maruping-Mzileni [email protected] 1
Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Kimberley, Northern Cape 8031, South Africa
2
Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Skukuza, Mpumalanga 1350, South Africa
3
Panthera, New York, NY 10018, USA
4
Department of Mathematics, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, DRC 1825, South Africa
5
Department of Statistics, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
predation (Valeix et al. 2009), kinship ties, territorial defence of resources (Bertram 1975), increased reproductive opportunities (Caraco and Wolf 1975) and communal rearing of offspring (Packer and Pusey 1997
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