Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential.
Rabies is a lethal zoonosis present in most parts of the world which can be transmitted to humans through the bite from an infected mammalian reservoir host. The Arctic rabies virus variant (ARVV) persists mainly in populations of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), and to a lesser extent in red fox popu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286784 |
| _version_ | 1797808275041812480 |
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| author | Benoit Talbot Thaneah J Alanazi Vicky Albert Émilie Bordeleau Émilie Bouchard Patrick A Leighton H Dawn Marshall Daphné Rondeau-Geoffrion Audrey Simon Ariane Massé |
| author_facet | Benoit Talbot Thaneah J Alanazi Vicky Albert Émilie Bordeleau Émilie Bouchard Patrick A Leighton H Dawn Marshall Daphné Rondeau-Geoffrion Audrey Simon Ariane Massé |
| author_sort | Benoit Talbot |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rabies is a lethal zoonosis present in most parts of the world which can be transmitted to humans through the bite from an infected mammalian reservoir host. The Arctic rabies virus variant (ARVV) persists mainly in populations of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), and to a lesser extent in red fox populations (Vulpes vulpes). Red foxes are thought to be responsible for sporadic southward movement waves of the ARVV outside the enzootic area of northern Canada. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether red foxes displayed notable levels of genetic structure across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, which includes portions of the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland-Labrador in Canada, and is a region with a history of southward ARVV movement waves. We combined two datasets that were collected and genotyped using different protocols, totalling 675 red fox individuals across the whole region and genotyped across 13 microsatellite markers. We found two genetic clusters across the region, reflecting a latitudinal gradient, and characterized by low genetic differentiation. We also observed weak but significant isolation by distance, which seems to be marginally more important for females than for males. These findings suggest a general lack of resistance to movement in red fox populations across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, regardless of sex. Implications of these findings include additional support for the hypothesis of long-distance southward ARVV propagation through its red fox reservoir host. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:35:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9891e391df5c469aacfdba923b41f02f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:35:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-9891e391df5c469aacfdba923b41f02f2023-06-09T05:31:14ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01186e028678410.1371/journal.pone.0286784Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential.Benoit TalbotThaneah J AlanaziVicky AlbertÉmilie BordeleauÉmilie BouchardPatrick A LeightonH Dawn MarshallDaphné Rondeau-GeoffrionAudrey SimonAriane MasséRabies is a lethal zoonosis present in most parts of the world which can be transmitted to humans through the bite from an infected mammalian reservoir host. The Arctic rabies virus variant (ARVV) persists mainly in populations of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), and to a lesser extent in red fox populations (Vulpes vulpes). Red foxes are thought to be responsible for sporadic southward movement waves of the ARVV outside the enzootic area of northern Canada. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether red foxes displayed notable levels of genetic structure across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, which includes portions of the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland-Labrador in Canada, and is a region with a history of southward ARVV movement waves. We combined two datasets that were collected and genotyped using different protocols, totalling 675 red fox individuals across the whole region and genotyped across 13 microsatellite markers. We found two genetic clusters across the region, reflecting a latitudinal gradient, and characterized by low genetic differentiation. We also observed weak but significant isolation by distance, which seems to be marginally more important for females than for males. These findings suggest a general lack of resistance to movement in red fox populations across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, regardless of sex. Implications of these findings include additional support for the hypothesis of long-distance southward ARVV propagation through its red fox reservoir host.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286784 |
| spellingShingle | Benoit Talbot Thaneah J Alanazi Vicky Albert Émilie Bordeleau Émilie Bouchard Patrick A Leighton H Dawn Marshall Daphné Rondeau-Geoffrion Audrey Simon Ariane Massé Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. PLoS ONE |
| title | Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. |
| title_full | Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. |
| title_fullStr | Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. |
| title_short | Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. |
| title_sort | low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in eastern canada and implications for arctic fox rabies propagation potential |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286784 |
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