Temperature and resources interact to affect transmission via host
foraging rate and susceptibility
Abstract
Environmental conditions such as temperature and resource availability
can shape disease transmission by altering contact rates and/or the
probability of infection given contact. However, interactive effects of
these factors on transmission processes remain poorly understood. Here,
we develop mechanistic models and fit them to experimental data to
uncover how temperature and resources jointly affect transmission of
fungal parasites (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) in zooplankton hosts
(Daphnia dentifera). Model competition revealed interactive effects of
temperature and resources on both contact rates (host foraging) and the
probability of infection given contact (per-parasite susceptibility).
Foraging rates increased with temperature and decreased with resources
(via type-II foraging), but this resource effect weakened at warmer
temperature due to shorter handling times. Per-parasite susceptibility
increased with resources at cooler temperatures but remained
consistently high when warmer. Our analysis demonstrates that
temperature and resources interact to shape transmission processes and
provides a general theoretical framework for other host-parasite
systems.