@article{fdi:010068274,
  title = {{F}unctional diversity as a new framework for understanding the ecology of an emerging generalist pathogen},
  author = {{M}orris, {A}. and {G}u{\'e}gan, {J}ean-{F}ran{\c{c}}ois and {B}enbow, {M}. {E}. and {W}illiamson, {H}. and {S}mall, {P}. {L}. {C}. and {Q}uaye, {C}. and {B}oakye, {D}. and {M}erritt, {R}. {W}. and {G}ozlan, {R}odolphe},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{E}merging infectious disease outbreaks are increasingly suspected to be a consequence of human pressures exerted on natural ecosystems. {P}reviously, host taxonomic communities have been used as indicators of infectious disease emergence, and the loss of their diversity has been implicated as a driver of increased presence. {T}he mechanistic details in how such pathogen-host systems function, however, may not always be explained by taxonomic variation or loss. {H}ere we used machine learning and methods based on {G}ower's dissimilarity to quantify metrics of invertebrate functional diversity, in addition to functional groups and their taxonomic diversity at sites endemic and non-endemic for the model generalist pathogen {M}ycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of {B}uruli ulcer. {C}hanges in these metrics allowed the rapid categorisation of the ecological niche of the mycobacterium's hosts and the ability to relate specific host traits to its presence in aquatic ecosystems. {W}e found that taxonomic diversity of hosts and overall functional diversity loss and evenness had no bearing on the mycobacterium's presence, or whether the site was in an endemic area. {T}hese findings, however, provide strong evidence that generalist environmentally persistent bacteria such as {M}. ulcerans can be associated with specific functional traits rather than taxonomic groups of organisms, increasing our understanding of emerging disease ecology and origin.},
  keywords = {functional diversity ; biodiversity ; {B}uruli ulcer ; mycobacterium ; dilution effect ; {GHANA}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}cohealth},
  volume = {13},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {570--581},
  ISSN = {1612-9202},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1007/s10393-016-1140-x},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068274},
}