Body mass and hibernation microclimate may predict bat susceptibility to white-nose syndrome

In multi-host disease systems, differences in mortality between species may reflect variation in host physiology, morphology, and behavior. In systems where the pathogen can persist in the environment, microclimate conditions, and the adaptation of the host to these conditions, may also impact mortality. White-nose syndrome is an emerging disease of hibernating bats caused by an environmentally persistent fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans. We assessed the effects of body mass, torpid metabolic rate, evaporative water loss, and hibernaculum temperature and water vapor deficit on predicted overwinter survival of bats infected by P. destructans. We used a hibernation energetics model in an individual-based model framework to predict the probability of survival of nine bat species at eight sampling sites across North America. The model predicts time until fat exhaustion as a function of species-specific host characteristics, hibernaculum microclimate, and fungal growth. We fit a linear m...在多宿主疾病系统中，不同物种间的死亡率差异，可反映宿主在生理、形态与行为层面的变异。在病原体可于环境中持久存续的系统内，微气候条件以及宿主对这些条件的适应能力，同样会对死亡率产生影响。 白鼻综合征（White-nose syndrome）是一种新兴的冬眠蝙蝠疾病，由可在环境中持久存活的破坏性假裸囊菌（Pseudogymnoascus destructans）引发。本研究评估了体质量、蛰伏代谢率（torpid metabolic rate）、蒸发失水量，以及冬眠洞穴的温度与水汽压亏缺，对感染破坏性假裸囊菌的蝙蝠的预测越冬存活率的影响。 本研究依托基于个体的模型（individual-based model）框架，采用冬眠能量学模型，预测了北美8个采样位点处各蝙蝠物种的越冬存活概率。该模型以宿主物种特异性特征、冬眠洞穴微气候以及真菌生长状况为自变量，预测蝙蝠体内脂肪耗尽所需的时间。本研究拟合了一个线性m……