About the Authors

Norval J. C. Strachan

Affiliation Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Ovidiu Rotariu

Affiliation Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Marion MacRae

Affiliation School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Samuel K. Sheppard

Affiliation Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Swansea University, College of Medicine, Swansea, United Kingdom

Alison Smith-Palmer

Affiliation Health Protection Scotland, National Services Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom

John Cowden

Affiliation Health Protection Scotland, National Services Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Martin C. J. Maiden

Affiliation Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Ken J. Forbes

k.forbes@abdn.ac.uk

Affiliation School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: NS MM SS MCM KF OR. Performed the experiments: MM SS. Analyzed the data: NS OR KF. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: NS OR MM SS ASP JC MCM KF. Wrote the paper: NS OR MM SS ASP JC MCM KF.