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Closing the gap on causal processes of infection risk from cross-sectional data: structural equation models to understand infection and co-infection
Citation
Carver, S and Beatty, JA and Troyer, RM and Harris, RL and Stutzman-Rodriguez, K and Barrs, VR and Chan, CC and Tasker, S and Lappin, MR and VandeWoude, S, Closing the gap on causal processes of infection risk from cross-sectional data: structural equation models to understand infection and co-infection, Parasites and Vectors, 8, (1) Article 658. ISSN 1756-3305 (2015) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
© 2015 Carver et al. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
DOI: doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1274-7
Abstract
Background
Epidemiological studies of disease exposure risk are frequently based on observational, cross-sectional data, and use statistical approaches as crucial tools for formalising causal processes and making predictions of exposure risks. However, an acknowledged limitation of traditional models is that the inferred relationships are correlational, cannot easily distinguish direct from indirect determinants of disease risk, and are often considerable simplifications of complex interrelationships. This may be particularly important when attempting to infer causality in patterns of co-infection through pathogen-facilitation.
Methods
We describe analyses of cross-sectional data using structural equation models (SEMs), a contemporary advancement on traditional regression approaches, based on our study system of feline gammaherpesvirus (FcaGHV1) in domestic cats.
Results
SEMs strongly supported a latent (host phenotype) variable associated with FcaGHV1 exposure and co-infection risk, suggesting these individuals are simply more likely to become infected with multiple pathogens. However, indications of pathogen-covariance (potential facilitation) were also variably detected: potentially among FcaGHV1, Bartonella spp and Mycoplasma spp.
Conclusions
Our models suggest multiple exposures are primarily driven by host phenotypic traits, such as aggressive male phenotypes, and secondarily by pathogen-pathogen interactions. The results of this study demonstrate the application of SEMs to understanding epidemiological processes using observational data, and could be used more widely as a complementary tool to understand complex cross-sectional information in a wide variety of disciplines.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | disease, felid, cat, pathogen, exposure, transmission |
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Evolutionary biology |
| Research Field: | Host-parasite interactions |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
| Objective Field: | Disease distribution and transmission (incl. surveillance and response) |
| UTAS Author: | Carver, S (Associate Professor Scott Carver) |
| UTAS Author: | Harris, RL (Miss Rachel Harris) |
| ID Code: | 105639 |
| Year Published: | 2015 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 13 |
| Deposited By: | Zoology |
| Deposited On: | 2016-01-12 |
| Last Modified: | 2018-03-15 |
| Downloads: | 120 View Download Statistics |
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