Jacques Christopher N, Jenks Jonathan A, Klaver Robert W, Dubay Shelli A
1 Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, North Campus Drive, Box 2140B, Northern Plains Biostress Lab, Brookings, South Dakota 57007, USA.
2 US Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 342 Science II, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2017 Jan;53(1):131-135. doi: 10.7589/2016-02-028. Epub 2016 Sep 30.
Few studies have evaluated how wetland and forest characteristics influence the prevalence of meningeal worm ( Parelaphostrongylus tenuis ) infection of deer throughout the grassland biome of central North America. We used previously collected, county-level prevalence data to evaluate associations between habitat characteristics and probability of meningeal worm infection in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) across eastern South Dakota, US. The highest-ranked binomial regression model for detecting probability of meningeal worm infection was spring temperature + summer precipitation + percent wetland; weight of evidence (w=0.71) favored this model over alternative models, though predictive capability was low (Receiver operating characteristic=0.62). Probability of meningeal worm infection increased by 1.3- and 1.6-fold for each 1-cm and 1-C increase in summer precipitation and spring temperature, respectively. Similarly, probability of infection increased 1.2-fold for each 1% increase in wetland habitat. Our findings highlight the importance of wetland habitat in predicting meningeal worm infection across eastern South Dakota. Future research is warranted to evaluate the relationships between climatic conditions (e.g., drought, wet cycles) and deer habitat selection in maintaining P. tenuis along the western boundary of the parasite.
很少有研究评估湿地和森林特征如何影响北美中部草原生物群落中鹿的脑脊髓丝虫（Parelaphostrongylus tenuis）感染率。我们使用先前收集的县级感染率数据，来评估美国南达科他州东部白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）的栖息地特征与脑脊髓丝虫感染概率之间的关联。用于检测脑脊髓丝虫感染概率的最高排名二项式回归模型是春季温度+夏季降水量+湿地百分比；证据权重（w = 0.71）表明该模型优于其他模型，尽管预测能力较低（受试者工作特征曲线下面积= 0.62）。夏季降水量每增加1厘米和春季温度每升高1摄氏度，脑脊髓丝虫感染概率分别增加1.3倍和1.6倍。同样，湿地栖息地每增加1%，感染概率增加1.2倍。我们的研究结果突出了湿地栖息地在预测南达科他州东部脑脊髓丝虫感染方面的重要性。有必要开展未来研究，以评估气候条件（如干旱、干湿循环）与鹿的栖息地选择之间的关系，以及在寄生虫西部边界维持脑脊髓丝虫的情况。
