Partial predation
We predict predator spreading if:
- predator contaminates itself while feeding on one prey item
- predator wounds, but does not completely consume, prey
- Wounding of the prey decreases general defenses against disease or
parasite spreads through open wounds
Outstanding Questions:
- Is partial predation predator spreading limited to sessile/colonial
organisms such as coral?
- What parasite taxa, transmission modes, or infection sites are most
prone to this form of transmission?
- Are there systems in which failed predation events are infectious and
common enough to influence disease dynamics?