Habitat and host factors associated with liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) diagnoses in wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Scottish Highlands

Table 3 Fixed effect parameter estimates for a binomial (logit link) generalised linear mixed effect model describing the probability of positive Fasciola hepatica coproantigen ELISA diagnosis for faecal samples of wild Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus) (n = 390) in relation to host and habitat within 2 km radius estimated home range

Fixed effect parameter	Estimate (95% CI)
(Intercept)	− 2.12 (− 3.076 to − 1.198)
Sex	1.634 (0.603–2.722)
Days into season	0.521 (0.016–1.037)
Stream length	0.349 (0.047–0.658)
Mean annual rainfall total	0.148 (− 0.421 to 0.683)
Mean annual development days	0.266 (− 0.179 to 0.708)
Blanket bog	0.115 (− 0.437 to 0.665)
Heather moor	0.223 (− 0.193 to 0.653)
Smooth grassland	0.223 (− 0.082 to 0.527)

Notes: Habitat data in terms of home range percentage land cover [28], meteorology [20] and topographically derived stream length [25, 26] were mean-centred and scaled to standard deviation units prior to logistic regression against binary cELISA diagnoses. Values in parentheses represent 95% (profile) confidence intervals. Annual development days were defined as the total number of days per year with mean air temperature exceeding 10 °C. Mean annual rainfall total and mean annual development days were calculated using data from the 5 years immediately preceding sampling season 2013–2014

ISSN: 1756-3305