Research overview: disease transmission and the social structure of lion prides

Lions are unusually social among cats, and their pride structure shapes how pathogens spread through populations. This overview surveys the interplay between lion social organization and disease transmission, examining how communal living, shared kills, allo-grooming and male coalition dynamics create contact patterns that affect the spread of viruses, parasites and bacteria. It considers how social transmission differs from the solitary contact networks of most felids, the implications for diseases like distemper and FIV, and how social structure influences both vulnerability and resilience to outbreaks. The synthesis connects behavioral ecology to epidemiology. It aims to help readers understand that the very sociality that defines lions also molds their disease ecology, making the structure of prides and the movements of individuals important factors in how pathogens move through lion populations.