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Protective effect of predator species richness on human hantavirus infection incidence.

ABSTRACT: Are predators of rodents beneficial for public health? This question focuses on whether predators regulate the spillover transmission of rodent-borne diseases. No clear answer has emerged because of the complex linkages across multiple trophic levels and the lack of accessible data. Although previous empirical findings have suggested ecological mechanisms, such as resource partitioning, which implies protective effects from predator species richness, epidemiological evidence is needed to bolster these arguments. Thus, we investigated the association between predator species richness and incidence of rodent-borne haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the human population using district-level longitudinal data of 13 years for South Korea. With the exception of districts with low species richness, we found a significant negative association between the incidence of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and the species richness of both avian and mammalian predators; the trends for both predator types were similar. Thus, biodiversity conservation may benefit public health.

SUBMITTER: Min KD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7728771 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Protective effect of predator species richness on human hantavirus infection incidence.

Min Kyung-Duk KD Kim Ho H Hwang Seung-Sik SS Cho Seongbeom S Schneider Maria Cristina MC Hwang Jusun J Cho Sung-Il SI

Scientific reports 20201210 1

Are predators of rodents beneficial for public health? This question focuses on whether predators regulate the spillover transmission of rodent-borne diseases. No clear answer has emerged because of the complex linkages across multiple trophic levels and the lack of accessible data. Although previous empirical findings have suggested ecological mechanisms, such as resource partitioning, which implies protective effects from predator species richness, epidemiological evidence is needed to bolster ...[more]

PMID: 33303876

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Dataset Information

Protective effect of predator species richness on human hantavirus infection incidence.

Publications

Protective effect of predator species richness on human hantavirus infection incidence.

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