RT Journal Article
T1 Vegetation cover and biodiversity reduce parasite infection in wild hosts across ecological levels and scales
A1 Andreazzi, Cecilia S.
A1 Martinez-Vaquero, Luis A.
A1 Winck, Gisele R.
A1 Cardoso, Thiago S.
A1 Teixeira, Bernardo  R.
A1 Xavier, Samanta C. C.
A1 Gentile, Rosana
A1 Jansen, Ana María
A1 D’Andrea, Paulo S.
AB Land use changes and biodiversity loss critically disrupts ecosystem functioning and are major drivers of infectious disease outbreaks. Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, is a multi-host parasite whose epidemiology has changed due to the expansion of anthropogenic activities over natural areas. We aimed to understand the ecological processes increasing parasite prevalence at the individual, the community and the landscape levels using the largest database on small mammal infection by T. cruzi in Brazil. We applied machine learning techniques and structural equation models to show that allometric traits and the relative abundance of rodents in the community were important predictors of infection risk, followed by variables associated with the landscape environmental quality. Natural vegetation cover change and the taxonomic and functional dimensions of biodiversity indirectly reduced infection through its effect on the abundance distribution and composition of host communities. According to our findings, approaches to biodiversity conservation and restoration based on the integration of social inclusion and human welfare would contribute to regulate the prevalence of T. cruzi in wild hosts, which may reduce overall transmission risk.
PB Wiley Open Access
SN 0906-7590
YR 2023
FD 2023-03-10
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/103107
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/103107
LA eng
NO Unión Europea Horizonte 2020
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN)
NO Brazilian Research Council
NO Serrapilheira Institute
NO Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
DS Docta Complutense
RD 18 abr 2025