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Parasite aggregations in host populations using a reformulated negative binomial model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

P. Pal  and
J.W. Lewis
P. Pal*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
J.W. Lewis
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
*
*Fax: +44 1784 434348 Email: p.pal@rhul.ac.uk
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Abstract

The negative binomial distribution model is reformulated and used to demarcate a host population at a specific level of infection by defining an attribute spanning a range of parasite aggregations. The upper limit of the range specifies the boundary for the classification of the host population and provides a technique to determine the cumulative probability at any level of parasite infection to a high degree of accuracy. This approach also leads to the evaluation of the k parameter, i.e. an inverse measure of dispersion of parasite aggregation, for each fraction of the host population with a discrete level of infection. The basic mathematical premise of the negative binomial function is unaltered in developing this reformulation which was applied to data on the distribution of the trichostrongylid nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus in populations of the field mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus.

Type
Review Article
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 78 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 57 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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