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Linking avian communities and avian influenza ecology in southern Africa using epidemiological functional groups

Overview of attention for article published in Veterinary Research, October 2012
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  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (70th percentile)
  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (66th percentile)

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Title
Linking avian communities and avian influenza ecology in southern Africa using epidemiological functional groups
Published in
Veterinary Research, October 2012
DOI 10.1186/1297-9716-43-73
Pubmed ID
Authors

Alexandre Caron, Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky, Mduduzi Ndlovu, Graeme S Cumming

Abstract

The ecology of pathogens, and particularly their emergence in multi-host systems, is complex. New approaches are needed to reduce superficial complexities to a level that still allows scientists to analyse underlying and more fundamental processes. One promising approach for simplification is to use an epidemiological-function classification to describe ecological diversity in a way that relates directly to pathogen dynamics. In this article, we develop and apply the epidemiological functional group (EFG) concept to explore the relationships between wild bird communities and avian influenza virus (AIV) in three ecosystems in southern Africa. Using a two year dataset that combined bird counts and bimonthly sampling for AIV, we allocated each bird species to a set of EFGs that captured two overarching epidemiological functions: the capacity of species to maintain AIV in the system, and their potential to introduce the virus. Comparing AIV prevalence between EFGs suggested that the hypothesis that anseriforms (ducks) and charadriiforms (waders) drive AIV epidemiology cannot entirely explain the high prevalence observed in some EFGs. If anseriforms do play an important role in AIV dynamics in each of the three ecosystems, the role of other species in the local maintenance of AIV cannot be ruled out. The EFG concept thus helped us to identify gaps in knowledge and to highlight understudied bird groups that might play a role in AIV epidemiology. In general, the use of EFGs has potential for generating a range of valuable insights in epidemiology, just as functional group approaches have done in ecology.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 48 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 1 2%
South Africa 1 2%
Unknown 46 96%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 13 27%
Student > Ph. D. Student 9 19%
Student > Master 7 15%
Student > Bachelor 3 6%
Professor 3 6%
Other 6 13%
Unknown 7 15%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 15 31%
Environmental Science 6 13%
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine 3 6%
Medicine and Dentistry 3 6%
Computer Science 2 4%
Other 8 17%
Unknown 11 23%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 01 January 2013.
All research outputs
#7,355,485
of 25,373,627 outputs
Outputs from Veterinary Research
#341
of 1,337 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#55,691
of 201,995 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Veterinary Research
#3
of 12 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,373,627 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 69th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,337 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 5.0. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 73% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 201,995 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 70% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 12 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 66% of its contemporaries.