Journal
ECOLOGY
Volume 95, Issue 3, Pages 703-714Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1890/13-0518.1
Keywords
bioaerosol; disease dynamics; dispersal; epidemiology; genotype by genotype interactions; host-parasite interactions; super-shedder; superspreader; transmission; transport
Categories
Funding
- Academy of Finland [250444, 136393, 133499]
- European Research Council (PATHEVOL) [281517]
- Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence program [1118615]
- ERC ATM-NUCLE [227463]
- European Research Council (ERC) [281517] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)
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Many devastating pathogens are passively dispersed, and their epidemics are characterized by variation that is typically attributed to environmental factors. Here, by combining laboratory inoculations with wind tunnel and field trials using the wind-dispersed pathogen Podosphaera plantaginis, we demonstrated striking genetic variation affecting the unexplored microscale (<2 m) of epidemics. Recipient and source host genotypes, as well as pathogen strain, explained a large fraction of variation in the three key dispersal phases: departure, movement, and settlement. Moreover, we found genotypic variation affecting group size of the pathogen dispersal unit, ultimately resulting in increased disease development on hosts close to the infection source. Together, our results show that genotypic variation may generate considerable variation in the rate of disease spread through space and time with disease hotspots emerging around initial foci. Furthermore, the extent of genetic variation affecting the entire dispersal process confirms that these traits may be targeted by selection.
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