Meeting Abstract
Disease exposure is a universal threat to all organisms, and self-defense can occur in a variety of ways. Individuals can proactively prevent disease through avoidance behaviors. But, if they become infected, individuals can activate the immune response to control the infection. It is hypothesized that a trade-off occurs between avoidance behaviors and immune response activation because of costs associated with each strategy. Individuals may balance behavioral and immunological strategies to provide optimal protection against disease. It is unknown if individuals are consistent in their choice of strategies over time or if they modify their strategies based on situational indicators or life-history stages. With a captive population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), we conducted two-choice behavioral trials to determine how much time a focal bird would associate with a sick or healthy stimulus bird. We then inoculated focal birds with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and collected blood samples to measure levels of natural antibodies, complement, and acute phase protein. The same subset of individuals was tested three times over a three month time frame to measure repeatability of behavior and immune responses. We predict that an individual’s immunological measurements will correspond to their association behavior and that strategy choice will be variable over time. It may be more advantageous for individuals to alter their disease defenses based on environmental contexts and exhibit behavioral plasticity than to have fixed strategies. Determining how the innate immune response can change over an extended period of time may bring new insights into social interactions and the potential spread of wildlife diseases.
