The Evolution and Maintenance of Virulence in Microparasites
1996
The Evolution and Maintenance of Virulence in Microparasites
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Bruce R. Levin
Primary Institution: Emory University
Hypothesis
How much of the emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases is due to evolution, rather than ecological, technical, and social change?
Conclusion
Natural selection can favor and maintain the virulence of microparasites when there is a positive coupling between a parasite's virulence and its capacity for infectious transmission.
Supporting Evidence
- Natural selection can favor the evolution and maintenance of virulence as well as commensal and symbiotic associations between microparasites and their hosts.
- The myxoma virus story provides compelling evidence for the relationship between virulence and transmissibility.
- Experimental studies can test the predictions made about the evolution of virulence in microparasites.
Takeaway
Some germs can be really bad for us, but they can also change over time to become more or less harmful depending on how they spread.
Methodology
Theoretical studies and retrospective interpretations of epidemiologic data.
Limitations
Most hypotheses about the evolution of virulence are untested and based on general theory.
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