Contact-number-driven virus evolution: A multi-level modeling framework for the evolution of acute or persistent RNA virus infection

• Published in: PLoS computational biology Vol. 19; no. 5; p. e1011173
• Main Authors: Sunagawa, Junya, Komorizono, Ryo, Park, Hyeongki, Hart, William S., Thompson, Robin N., Makino, Akiko, Tomonaga, Keizo, Iwami, Shingo, Yamaguchi, Ryo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 30.05.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Accuracy; Analysis; Animals; Binomial distribution; Biology and Life Sciences; Borna disease; COVID-19; Disease; Disease transmission; Equilibrium; Evolution; Genetic algorithms; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Human populations; Humans; Infection; Infections; Medicine and Health Sciences; Modelling; Natural history; Peak load; Persistent infection; Population biology; Population dynamics; Populations; RNA; RNA polymerase; RNA viruses; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Virus Diseases; Viruses; Viruses - genetics; Japan

Viruses evolve in infected host populations, and host population dynamics affect viral evolution. RNA viruses with a short duration of infection and a high peak viral load, such as SARS-CoV-2, are maintained in human populations. By contrast, RNA viruses characterized by a long infection duration an...