Biology subjects

Boissiere, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Boissiere, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Using social network analysis and non-invasive antibody detection to explore pathogen exposure in wildlife communities

Understanding the dynamics of infectious diseases in ecosystems shared with wildlife is a priority for preventing future threats to human, animal health and conservation. However, the collection of ecological and epidemiological data on wild populations has relied on invasive and costly methods which limited the capacity of investigation. Recent technological developments have changed this trend. In Hwange national park and its surrounding area in Zimbabwe, we combined camera trap-based ecological monitoring over a period of 12 months, covering 14 water holes with a fecal-based antibody survey in 16 large herbivore species. A survey involving 52,829 pictures as well as 629 faecal samples collected every 15 days, has shown Through the modelling of multispecies contact networks, the risk of infection exposure at species-level is predicted. Coupled with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) antibody information, the role of each species in the dynamics of infectious diseases is explored. This study highlights how community networks can provide valuable insights into the functional epidemiological role of wildlife populations. Rather than establishing transmission routes, our aim is to propose a scalable and non-invasive surveillance framework that identifies priority species and areas for epidemiological monitoring in complex ecological systems. Significance StatementMonitoring disease circulation in wildlife is often hindered by the difficulty of collecting epidemiological data. We propose a novel non-invasive approach that combines species interaction networks derived from camera-trap data with non-invasive antibody detection to explore the exposure patterns of large herbivore communities to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). By linking the position of species in contact networks with their immunological status, we demonstrate the potential of using ecological centrality as a proxy for identifying key hosts in transmission or indicator species for pathogen circulation. Beyond FMDV, this framework can be adapted to other pathogens for which non-invasive immunological assays are currently being developed, making it broadly relevant for wildlife disease surveillance in remote or protected areas.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Hidden hematological, biochemical and immune costs of asymptomatic malaria infections in semi-wild chimpanzees

The health consequences of Plasmodium infections in wild great apes, particularly in asymptomatic animals, remain poorly understood. This study investigated the hematological and immune impacts of natural malaria infections in 27 semi-wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) from Gabon. Using MinION sequencing and species-specific PCR, results showed a 48.15% overall Plasmodium infection rate, with frequent multi-species co-infections involving Plasmodium gaboni, Plasmodium reichenowi, and Plasmodium vivax-like parasites. In addition, younger animals were significantly more infected and exhibited higher parasitemia levels, especially those with triple infections involving P. vivax-like. Profiling of 15 hematological markers and 8 cytokines/chemokines known to be associated with malarial infections in humans revealed significant alterations in infected chimpanzees, including elevated urea, reduced creatinine, and increased systemic concentrations of pro-inflammatory (TNF, IL-1{beta}, CCL3) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines. Ex vivo PBMC stimulation yielded higher IL-10 in infected than non-infected individuals, indicating a regulatory-skewed cytokine response at the time of sampling. These results suggest that malaria in chimpanzees is associated with systemic immune modulation and accompanied by signs of physiological stress, including potential renal dysfunction. This study challenges the assumption that chronic Plasmodium infections are entirely benign in great apes and highlight the need to integrate immunological health indicators into conservation strategies. Broader immune profiling and longitudinal studies will be essential in the future to assess long-term health outcomes and resilience in these endangered populations.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Population genomic evidence of a Southeast Asian origin of Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent and widespread human malaria parasite, with almost three billion people living at risk of infection. With the discovery of its closest genetic relatives in African great apes (Plasmodium vivax-like), the origin of P. vivax has been proposed to be located in the sub-Saharan African area. However, the limited number of genetic markers and samples investigated questioned the robustness of this result. Here, we examined the population genomic variation of 447 human P. vivax strains and 19 ape P. vivax-like strains originating from 24 different countries across the world. We identified 2,005,455 high quality single-nucleotide polymorphism loci allowing us to conduct an extensive characterization to date of P. vivax worldwide genetic variation. Phylogenetic relationships between human and ape Plasmodium revealed that P. vivax is a sister clade of P. vivax-like, not included within the radiation of P. vivax-like. By investigating a variety of aspects of P. vivax variation, we identified several striking geographical patterns in summary statistics as function of increasing geographic distance from Southeast Asia, suggesting that P. vivax may derived from serial founder effects from a single origin located in Asia.

evolutionary biology↗