Biology subjects

Huang, Z. Y. X.

Publications and source records attributed to Huang, Z. Y. X..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Insectivores exhibit superior microbial transmission efficiency and elevated zoonotic risk by 2035 relative to rodents and bats

Wild small mammals represent critical sources of zoonotic infections due to their high diversity, global distribution, and proximity to humans. Nevertheless, significant knowledge gaps persist in characterizing pan-taxonomic microbial richness and sharing dynamics, particularly regarding ecologically critical yet understudied Eulipotyphla (true insectivores). Here we take a macroecological approach to compare how microbial hosting and transmission differ across insectivores, rodents, and bats, and what ecological factors drive such disparities. We find that insectivores host comparable microbial richness to rodents and bats while exhibiting superior intra- and cross-order transmission efficiency. Urban adaptation, geographic range area, and longevity are shared drivers of microbial richness and transmission across these host orders, while greater body mass and shorter gestation time specifically are positive predictors of these outcomes within insectivores. Climate change projections identify insectivores as primary transmission hosts in new high-latitude hotspots by 2035, including parts of the US, Canada, and Russia, posing greater zoonotic threats than rodents or bats. Our findings challenge the prevailing paradigm that prioritizes rodents and bats as special zoonotic reservoirs, establishing insectivores as critical but overlooked players in disease ecology. Collective proactive surveillance of insectivores, rodents, and bats is imperative for forecasting emerging zoonotic threats and informing global risk assessment frameworks.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Risk assessment of zoonotic viruses in urban-adapted wildlife

The repeated emergence of pandemic viruses underscores the linkages between land-use change and wildlife disease, and urban-adapted wildlife are of special interest due to their close proximity to humans. However, viral diversity within urban-adapted species and their zoonotic potential remains largely unexplored. We compiled a large dataset on seven priority urban-adapted mammal species and their viruses covering over 115 countries from 1574 to 2023. These urban-adapted species host 286 virus species spanning 24 orders and 38 families, 14 of which are potentially high risk for human infection. Raccoons carried the most high-risk viruses, while raccoon dogs had increased viral positivity in urban habitats compared to raccoons, wild boars, and red foxes. Many viruses in urban-adapted species were phylogenetically related to those found in humans, and we also observed evidence of possible viral spillback. These results highlight zoonotic risks associated with urban-adapted species and suggest enhanced surveillance to mitigate future outbreaks.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Unveiling the diversity, transmission, and zoonotic potential of microbes in true insectivores

The Eulipotyphla (true insectivores) is the third largest mammalian order, comprising over 500 species, and could be an important source of human infectious diseases. However, relatively little is known about the diversity of microbes in insectivores and the contribution of insectivores to virus transmission more specifically among wild hosts. In this study, we compiled a comprehensive dataset containing over 400,000 records of insectivores and their associated microbes from 1903 to 2023. Our analyses showed that insectivores host a wide spectrum of 941 microbes, 60% of which are viruses and are predominantly found in the shrew and hedgehog families. Notably, human-associated viruses harbored by shrews and hedgehogs were phylogenetically closely related to those found in humans, suggesting potential bidirectional transmission between insectivores and humans. Moreover, virus-sharing networks revealed that insectivores held the second-most central position for virus sharing, just second to bats, among all mammalian orders. Insectivores had a high proportion of cross-order transmitted viruses, including many human-associated viruses. Dietary diversity, habitat diversity, and distributional traits (e.g. geographical range size, mean latitude, and urban adaptation status) emerged as the key ecological factors contributing to this cross-species virus transmission. Our findings highlight the microbial diversity present in insectivores, indicating this order may act as potential incubators for novel viruses capable of infecting mammals and spreading viruses of public health concern.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Habitat loss exacerbates pathogen spread: An Agent-based model of avian influenza infection in migratory waterfowl

Habitat availability determines the distribution of migratory waterfowl along their flyway, which further influences the transmission and spatial spread of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). The extensive habitat loss in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) may have potentially altered the virus transmission and spread, but those consequences are rarely studied. We constructed 6 fall migration networks that differed in their level of habitat loss, wherein an increase in habitat loss resulted in smaller networks with fewer sites. The networks were integrated with an agent-based model and a susceptible-infected-recovered model to simulate waterfowl migration and AIV transmission. We found that extensive habitat loss in the EAAF can 1) relocate the outbreaks northwards responding to the distribution changes of wintering waterfowl geese, 2) increase the outbreak risk in remaining sites due to larger bird congregations, and 3) facilitate AIV transmission among wintering geese. Our modelling output suggested that there was a certain system resilience of migration network to confront the site removal. In addition, the outputs were in line with the predictions from the concept of "migratory escape", affecting the pattern of infection prevalence in the waterfowl population. Our modelling shed light on the potential consequences of habitat loss in transmitting and spreading AIV at the flyway scale, and suggested the driving mechanisms behind these effects, advocating the importance of nature conservation in changing spatial and temporal patterns of AIV outbreak. Author summaryWhat are the possible consequences of extensive habitat loss on the transmission and spread of avian influenza viruses (AIVs)? We used a logistic regression model to select the suitable habitats of Greater white-fronted goose in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and treated these habitats as sites to construct 6 fall migration networks that differed in their level of habitat loss (i.e., site removal). We then simulate geese migration in these networks, and explore the impacts of habitat loss on habitat connectivity and AIV transmission. We found the extensive habitat loss can cause relocation of the outbreaks and increase the outbreak risk and AIV transmission. Our modelling outputs suggested a certain network resilience to confront the site loss, and a "migratory escape" to change the spatial and temporal pattern of infection prevalence in the population. Overall, our study showed that land use changes and habitat loss can affect disease distribution and prevalence, suggested the importance of habitat conservation in changing the spatial and temporal pattern of AIVs transmission and spread.

ecology↗