Using genetic relatedness to understand heterogeneous distributions of urban rat‐associated pathogens

• DOI: 10.1111/eva.13049
• Publication Date: 2020-06-28T15:26:33Z
• Authors: Kaylee A. Byers; Tom R. Booker; Matthew Combs; Chelsea G. Himsworth; Jason Munshi‐South; David M. Patrick; Michael C. Whitlock
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Evolution; Special Issue Original Article; Clostridium difficile; 01 natural sciences; 3. Good health; Bartonella tribocorum; parentage; 11. Sustainability; QH359-425; Leptospira interrogans; movement; Norway rat

Abstract Urban Norway rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) carry several pathogens transmissible to people. However, pathogen prevalence can vary across fine spatial scales (i.e., by city block). Using a population genomics approach, we sought describe rat movement patterns an urban landscape and evaluate whether these align with distributions. We genotyped 605 from single neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada, used 1,495 genome‐wide nucleotide polymorphisms identify parent–offspring sibling relationships using pedigree analysis. resolved 1,246 pairs of relatives, which only 1% were captured different blocks. Relatives primarily caught within 33 meters each other leading highly leptokurtic distribution dispersal distances. binomial generalized linear mixed models, evaluated family influenced status the bacterial Leptospira interrogans , Bartonella tribocorum Clostridium difficile found that individual's was not predicted any better including disease related rats. The clustering their lends support hypothesis spatially restricted promotes heterogeneous evidenced this population. Our findings also highlight utility evolutionary tools understand rat‐associated health risks landscapes.