Faecal pathogens and ectoparasites associated with small mammals in forest fringes around Sydney, Australia

This dataset contains curated and Hellinger-tranformed sequencing data
obtained from DNA extracted from small mammal scats collected in
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and surrounding urban reserves. We
present the csv files neccesary to obtained the published results of our
study, in which we aimed to analyse the influence of host species
identity and traits (i.e. sex, body mass index; BMI), and seasonality on
the presence of faecal pathogenic fungi and bacteria as well as the
ectoparasites associated with small mammals inhabiting forest reserves
near urban areas in the Sydney region, New South Wales (NSW),
Australia. Across samples, we identified 12 pathogenic fungi,
nine bacterial pathogens, and 15 ectoparasite taxa. The most abundant
representatives of each group were Malassezia japonica (fungi),
Escherichia coli (bacteria), and Siphonaptera (fleas). Host traits
influenced pathogen and ectoparasite occurrence in distinct ways. Host sex
affected flea prevalence, with males more frequently infested than
females. Host body mass index had no detectable effect on pathogen or
ectoparasite presence. Host species was a strong predictor with Rattus
fuscipes being more likely to carry fleas and mites, whereas Antechinus
stuartii had a higher likelihood of harbouring fungal and bacterial
pathogens in their scats. Seasonality also shaped pathogen and
ectoparasite dynamics. Pathogenic fungi, bacteria, and ticks were more
common in the autumn (wet season), whereas flea prevalence was highest in
spring. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of broad-scale
assessments of pathogen communities in wildlife species that live near
humans, as such work is critical for identifying potential vectors and
emerging zoonoses.