Host population structure and the evolution of virulence: a "law of diminishing returns"

Structure in a population of host individuals, whether spatial or temporal, can have important effects on the transmission and evolutionary dynamics of its pathogens. One of these is to limit dispersal of pathogens and thus increase the amount of contact between a given pair or within a small group...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEvolution Vol. 49; no. 4; p. 743
Main Authors Lipsitch, M. (Emory University, Atlanta, GA.), Herre, E.A, Nowak, M.A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.08.1995
Subjects
AGENT PATHOGENE
DISEASE TRANSMISSION
EVOLUCION
EVOLUTION
HOSTS
HOTE
HUESPEDES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MODELE MATHEMATIQUE
MODELOS MATEMATICOS
ORGANISMOS PATOGENOS
PATHOGENICITY
PATHOGENS
PODER PATOGENO
POUVOIR PATHOGENE
TRANSMISION DE ENFERMEDADES
TRANSMISSION DES MALADIES
pathogenicity
transmission
pathogens
population structure
virulence
parasites
evolution
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Structure in a population of host individuals, whether spatial or temporal, can have important effects on the transmission and evolutionary dynamics of its pathogens. One of these is to limit dispersal of pathogens and thus increase the amount of contact between a given pair or within a small group of host individuals. We introduce a "law of diminishing returns" that predicts an evolutionary decline of pathogen virulence whenever there are on average more possibilities of pathogen transmission between the same pair of hosts. Thus, the effect of repeated contact between hosts will be to shift the balance of any trade-off between virulence and transmissibility toward lower virulence.
Bibliography:U10
9610354
ISSN:0014-3820
1558-5646
DOI:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1995.tb02310.x