Broad and fine‐scale genetic analysis of white‐tailed deer populations: estimating the relative risk of chronic wasting disease spread

Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, similar to sheep scrapie that has only recently been detected in wild populations of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) in western Canada. Relatively little is known...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evolutionary applications 2011-01, Vol.4 (1), p.116-131
Main Authors: Cullingham, Catherine I., Merrill, Evelyn H., Pybus, Margo J., Bollinger, Trent K., Wilson, Gregory A., Coltman, David W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal populations
Biology
Chronic wasting disease
Computers
Deer
Disease
Disease spread
Disease transmission
Ecology
Epidemiology
Evolution
Genetic analysis
Genetic diversity
Genetic structure
Integrated software
Mitochondrial DNA
Odocoileus virginianus
Original
Philopatry
Population genetics
prion
Risk assessment
Scrapie
Social interactions
spatial genetic structure
Subpopulations
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
Veterinary medicine
white‐tailed deer
Wildlife management
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Summary:Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, similar to sheep scrapie that has only recently been detected in wild populations of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) in western Canada. Relatively little is known about local transmission dynamics of the disease or the potential for long‐distance spread. We analysed the population genetic structure of over 2000 white‐tailed deer sampled from Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan using microsatellite profiles and mtDNA sequencing to assess the relative risk of disease spread. There was very little differentiation among subpopulations and a weak trend of increasing differentiation with geographic distance. This suggests that the potential for long‐distance disease spread through the dispersal of infected individuals is possible, yet the risk of spread should gradually diminish with distance from infection foci. Within subpopulations, females were more related than expected by chance (R > 0) within a radius of approximately 500 m. Sex‐biased philopatry and social interactions among related females may facilitate local disease transmission within social groups. Local herd reduction may therefore be an effective tool for reducing the disease prevalence when implemented at the appropriate spatial scale.
ISSN:1752-4571
1752-4571
DOI:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00142.x