Though a majority of emerging diseases arise from mammal species, we lack a systematic comparison of potential disease reservoirs across the major mammal groups. Here we present global biogeographical patterns of mammal species that carry zoonotic pathogens. In addition to reviewing diversity hotspots of zoonotic mammal reservoirs, we explore the Carnivora, perhaps the most widely distributed mammal group.
Results/Conclusions
We found that nearly half of carnivoran mammal species carry between 1-85 zoonotic diseases, which represents a higher proportion of potential reservoir species than any other mammal group. Among the carnivorans, the best predictors of zoonotic reservoir status were behavioral traits, specifically the degree of omnivory along with associated life history traits reflecting an omnivorous lifestyle. Secondary analyses reveal that traits describing ranging behaviors were strong predictors of the diversity of zoonotic diseases infecting carnivoran hosts. We discuss these results in the context of global change, particularly with respect to arctic warming and concomitant changes in community composition.