ABSTRACT
Co-infections with multiple pathogens are common in the wild and may act as a strong selective pressure on both host and parasite evolution. Yet, contrary to single infection, the factors that shape co-infection risk are largely under-investigated. Here, we explored the extent to which bird ecology and phylogeny impact single and co-infection probabilities by haemosporidian parasites using large datasets from museum collections and a Bayesian phylogenetic modelling framework. While both phylogeny and species attributes (e.g. size of the geographic range, life-history strategy, migration) were relevant predictors of co-infection risk, these factors were less pertinent in predicting the probability of being single infected. Our study suggests that co-infection risk is under a stronger deterministic control than single-infection risk. These results underscore the combined influence of host evolutionary history and species attributes in determining single and co-infection pattern providing new avenues regarding our ability to predict infection risk in the wild.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
↵* These authors share senior authorship
mathieu.chevalier{at}ifremer.fr, camille-sophie.cozzarolo{at}ik.me, molly.baur{at}unil.ch, mathilde.arlettaz{at}bluewin.ch, alice.Cibois{at}ville-ge.ch, andre.keiser{at}vd.ch, antoine.guisan{at}unil.ch, philippe.christe{at}unil.ch, olivier.glaizot{at}unil.ch