Patterns of Exposure and Infection with Microparasites in Iberian Wild Carnivores: A Review and Meta-Analysis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Carnivores are a relevant taxon in the field of wildlife diseases due to their ecological and behavioral traits, and they are key hosts in the epidemiology of infectious diseases in the fields of public, pet, and livestock health. Conversely, their conservation is also directly threatened by disease outbreaks. The Iberian Peninsula, located in the southwest of the Eurasian continent, hosts a diverse assemblage of carnivores, including 18 species belonging to seven different families. In this article, we review the state of the art in the epidemiology of infectious diseases in wild carnivores in Spain and Portugal and use meta-analytic and comparative methods to derive insights into how sampling effort, pathogen richness, infection prevalence, and prevalence of antibodies vary across carnivore taxa and Iberian geography. We also identify important pitfalls and future perspectives for research. Our understanding of infectious diseases in Iberian wild carnivores has significantly advanced in the last twenty years, but there is a lack of longitudinal studies of infectious disease in Iberian carnivores. ABSTRACT: We use a suite of meta-analytic and comparative methods to derive fundamental insights into how sampling effort, pathogen richness, infection prevalence, and seroprevalence vary across Carnivora taxa and Iberian geography. The red fox was the most studied species, the wolf and Iberian lynx were disproportionally studied, and the Arctoidea were understudied. Sampling effort was higher in Mediterranean areas, but central Spain showed the higher pathogen richness. Excluding studies analyzing fecal samples, 53 different pathogens have been detected in Iberian carnivores, including 16 viruses, 27 bacteria, and 10 protozoa but no fungi. Sampling effort and pathogen diversity were generally more similar among closely related carnivore species. Seropositivity to viruses was lower and higher in the Mustelinae and the Canidae, respectively, and seropositivity to protozoa was higher in both taxa. Canine distemper virus exposure was greatest in canids and mustelids. Carnivore protoparvovirus-1 exposure was greatest in the Atlantic regions, and the Felidae and the Musteloidea had lower infection prevalence. A subclade of the Mustelidae had a greater prevalence of Leishmania infection. We observed no relationships between host phylogenetic distance and pathogen sharing among species. Lastly, we identify important research pitfalls and future directions to improve the study of infectious disease in Iberian wild carnivore communities.