Population ecology of gamebird parasites.

Abstract

High density gamebird systems can expect to suffer from the effects of parasites and yet little is known about the epidemiology of these diseases. In wild populations, moderately pathogenic species are likely to have a greater effect on the population than highly pathogenic species. Pathogenicity can be estimated through the experimental manipulation of parasite burdens. The basic reproductive rate of an infection (R₀) is the average number of parasite cases that arise from each infectious case and provides a measure of the force of infection, hence the power of persistence and the difficulty of control. Basic data on survival and infectivity of parasites can be used to obtain an estimate of R₀ and have helped in the control of parasitic infections of red grouse.