Sampling infectious diseases as part of the National Ecological Observatory Network

Background/Question/Methods

In its evaluation of research priorities, the National Research Council identified the need for greater insights into the ecology of infectious diseases as one of its grand challenges in environmental science.  To address this call, sampling of a variety of mosquito-, tick-, and rodent-borne diseases will be performed within the National Ecological Observatory Network as part of NEON’s terrestrial observation system.

Results/Conclusions

Samples collected as part of NEON’s infectious disease module, and analytical tests performed on them, will provide information on changes in the abundance and prevalence of vector and pathogen species at NEON sites.  The design of underlying sampling strategies and prototyping of associated sampling and analytical methods are currently underway.  Design emphases include 1) a focus on vector suites rather than pathogens to increase sampling breadth and flexibility, 2) use of general methods applicable to as wide a range of target species as possible, 3) methodological standardization across sites and through time to facilitate data comparability, and 4) co-location with other ecological sampling and abiotic environmental measurements to shed light on drivers of epidemiological dynamics.  As with all NEON data, information generated by infectious disease sampling will be freely available, so input on research foci of interest and preferred sampling methods and strategies is being solicited from anticipated end user groups, particularly disease researchers in academic and public health settings.  Similarly, many of the samples collected as part of the infectious disease module, including whole organisms (e.g., ticks) and tissue samples (e.g., rodent blood) will be archived and available for additional analyses.  Insights generated by long-term studies of infectious diseases within the observatory should greatly enhance current understanding of disease epidemiology in natural systems, inform disease management strategies employed by public agencies, and spur additional research on the drivers of disease dynamics and the ecology and evolution of host/pathogen interactions.