Sammendrag
Attraction sites are important for environmental pathogen transmission and spillover. Yet,
their role in wildlife disease dynamics is often poorly substantiated. Herein, we study the role of
salt licks as potential attraction sites for the spillover of gastrointestinal parasites from domestic
sheep to wild reindeer. Eggs from the introduced sheep nematode Nematodirus battus were found
in faecal samples of both species, suggestive of spillover. DNA metabarcoding of soil, collected at
salt licks, revealed that N. battus, in addition to Teladorsagia circumcincta, were the most frequently
occurring parasitic nematodes, with a significantly higher prevalence of nematodal DNA in salt lick
soil compared to soil from control sites nearby. The finding of similar DNA haplotypes of N. battus in
sheep, reindeer, and salt lick soil supports the hypothesis of spillover to reindeer via salt licks. More
detailed investigation of the genetic diversity of N. battus across these hosts is needed to draw firm
conclusions. Infection with these sheep nematodes could potentially explain a recently observed
decline in the calf recruitment rate of the Knutshø reindeer herd. This study also supports the
hypothesized role of artificial salt licks as hot spots for the transmission of environmentally persistent
pathogens and illustrates the importance of knowledge about such attraction points in the study of
disease in free-roaming animals.
attraction sites; disease transmission; spillover; domestic sheep (Ovis aries); reindeer
(Rangifer tarandus); gastrointestinal nematodes; prion; chronic wasting disease
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