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Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population. / Benton, Clare H; Delahay, Richard; Shih, Barbara et al.
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 292, No. 2051, 20251242, 31.07.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Benton, CH, Delahay, R, Shih, B, Kao, RR, McDonald, RA & Hodgson, DJ 2025, 'Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 292, no. 2051, 20251242. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1242

APA

Benton, C. H., Delahay, R., Shih, B., Kao, R. R., McDonald, R. A., & Hodgson, D. J. (2025). Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 292(2051), Article 20251242. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1242

Vancouver

Benton CH, Delahay R, Shih B, Kao RR, McDonald RA, Hodgson DJ. Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2025 Jul 31;292(2051):20251242. Epub 2025 Jul 16. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.1242

Author

Benton, Clare H ; Delahay, Richard ; Shih, Barbara et al. / Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population. In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2025 ; Vol. 292, No. 2051.

Bibtex

@article{8728417987a34f84afa87d4934efa5c2,
title = "Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population",
abstract = "Pathogens rarely mix freely throughout host populations, and the presence of barriers to transmission can be detected as patterns of increased genetic isolation among pathogen isolates. Despite the importance of transmission patterns in host societies, and the risk of epizootics from wildlife disease systems, barriers to open pathogen transmission are poorly understood in wild hosts. We tested the influence of host kinship and social structure on genetic divergence among strains of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), in a wild badger population. We measured genetic distances between M. bovis isolates from badger hosts that varied in their own genetic similarity (a proxy for kinship) and in their social group affiliations. Using jack-knifing analyses to control for pseudoreplication, we found that genetic distances between pathogen isolates decreased with increasing kinship of host dyads, but only when hosts shared the same social group. Our findings suggest that the open transmission of bTB in wild hosts is constrained by a combination of social and kin structure, in particular the sharing of similar pathogen strains among kin within social groups. We discuss the implications of these transmission structures for the understanding and management of wildlife diseases.",
keywords = "whole-genome sequencing, bovine tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, badgers, kinship",
author = "Benton, {Clare H} and Richard Delahay and Barbara Shih and Kao, {Rowland R.} and McDonald, {Robbie A.} and Hodgson, {Dave J}",
year = "2025",
month = jul,
day = "16",
doi = "10.1098/rspb.2025.1242",
language = "English",
volume = "292",
journal = "Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences",
issn = "0962-8452",
publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing",
number = "2051",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sociality and kinship constrain the free-mixing of pathogens in a wild mammal host population

AU - Benton, Clare H

AU - Delahay, Richard

AU - Shih, Barbara

AU - Kao, Rowland R.

AU - McDonald, Robbie A.

AU - Hodgson, Dave J

PY - 2025/7/16

Y1 - 2025/7/16

N2 - Pathogens rarely mix freely throughout host populations, and the presence of barriers to transmission can be detected as patterns of increased genetic isolation among pathogen isolates. Despite the importance of transmission patterns in host societies, and the risk of epizootics from wildlife disease systems, barriers to open pathogen transmission are poorly understood in wild hosts. We tested the influence of host kinship and social structure on genetic divergence among strains of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), in a wild badger population. We measured genetic distances between M. bovis isolates from badger hosts that varied in their own genetic similarity (a proxy for kinship) and in their social group affiliations. Using jack-knifing analyses to control for pseudoreplication, we found that genetic distances between pathogen isolates decreased with increasing kinship of host dyads, but only when hosts shared the same social group. Our findings suggest that the open transmission of bTB in wild hosts is constrained by a combination of social and kin structure, in particular the sharing of similar pathogen strains among kin within social groups. We discuss the implications of these transmission structures for the understanding and management of wildlife diseases.

AB - Pathogens rarely mix freely throughout host populations, and the presence of barriers to transmission can be detected as patterns of increased genetic isolation among pathogen isolates. Despite the importance of transmission patterns in host societies, and the risk of epizootics from wildlife disease systems, barriers to open pathogen transmission are poorly understood in wild hosts. We tested the influence of host kinship and social structure on genetic divergence among strains of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), in a wild badger population. We measured genetic distances between M. bovis isolates from badger hosts that varied in their own genetic similarity (a proxy for kinship) and in their social group affiliations. Using jack-knifing analyses to control for pseudoreplication, we found that genetic distances between pathogen isolates decreased with increasing kinship of host dyads, but only when hosts shared the same social group. Our findings suggest that the open transmission of bTB in wild hosts is constrained by a combination of social and kin structure, in particular the sharing of similar pathogen strains among kin within social groups. We discuss the implications of these transmission structures for the understanding and management of wildlife diseases.

KW - whole-genome sequencing

KW - bovine tuberculosis

KW - Mycobacterium bovis

KW - badgers

KW - kinship

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2025.1242

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2025.1242

M3 - Journal article

VL - 292

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 2051

M1 - 20251242

ER -