Effects of species diversity on disease risk

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 485 - 498
• Main Authors: Keesing, F, Holt, R.D, Ostfeld, R.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2006; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Biodiversity; Communicable Diseases - epidemiology; Communicable Diseases - transmission; dilution effect; disease ecology; disease prevalence; disease transmission; Disease Vectors; diversity; Ecology; ecosystem function; host; hosts; Humans; infectious diseases; Models, Theoretical; pathogen; pathogens; Population Density; Prevalence; risk; Risk Factors; species diversity

The transmission of infectious diseases is an inherently ecological process involving interactions among at least two, and often many, species. Not surprisingly, then, the species diversity of ecological communities can potentially affect the prevalence of infectious diseases. Although a number of s...