e-obs Stories & Publications

@article{koch_risk_2026,

title = {Risk Factors and Coinfection Dynamics of Pathogens in Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) From Pennsylvania, USA},

author = {Ryan W. Koch and Axel O. G. Hoarau and Tryssa Ruyter and Caitlin Duffy and Lucie Pascarosa and Kerry A. Campbell and Casey L. Maynard and Andrew Cushman and Heather Flick and Anthony Musselman and Julianna Patsko and Rachel Bealer and Graham Rhone and Mary Jo Casalena and Andrew Di Salvo and Ken Duren and Jay T. Armstrong and Frances E. Buderman and R. Scott Larsen and Caroline Sobotyk and Erica A. Miller and Kevin D. Niedringhaus and Brock Geary and Eman Anis and Roderick B. Gagne},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ece3.73079},

doi = {10.1002/ece3.73079},

issn = {2045-7758},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Ecology and Evolution},

volume = {16},

number = {2},

pages = {e73079},

abstract = {Interactions between co-occurring pathogens can have complex and significant impacts on host survival, fitness, and population dynamics. While common in wildlife, coinfections are often overlooked, and research may create biased management perspectives when individual pathogens are assessed in isolation. Recent work has found that wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are affected by various pathogens, but it is unknown how infections and coinfections are spatially structured or interact with each other. Here, we determined the associations and risk factors of infection by lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), three avian Mycoplasma species, and internal parasites in Pennsylvania wild turkeys. Our results indicate varying prevalences: LPDV (70%), REV (1%), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (0%), Mycoplasma meleagridis (4%), Mycoplasma synoviae (2%), and internal parasites (63%). The prevalence of LPDV was greater in adults than juveniles but did not vary with year, sex, study area, or landscape type. Parasite species richness was greater in juveniles than adults, greater in males than females, varied by year and study area, but did not vary with landscape type. Coinfections with LPDV and parasites were more common (41%) than infections with only LPDV (26%) or only parasites (22%). All other coinfection prevalences involving viruses, Mycoplasma species, and parasites were low (0%\textendash3%). Finally, infection with LPDV did not differ with overall parasite species richness but was negatively associated with infection with parasitic nematodes. These results reveal high rates of coinfections with LPDV and parasites in turkeys but suggest that parasite infections are independent of LPDV infections. Ongoing work is currently investigating the sublethal effects of these coinfections on wild turkey populations.},

note = {_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.73079},

keywords = {disease, disease surveillance, Ecology, ground, ground dwelling, human conflict, infectious diseases, LPDV, Mycoplasma, nest success, Nesting Disease, parasite, social, telemetry, terrestrial, turkey, Turkey Movement, turky, Wild Turkey, wildlife, Wildlife Management},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}