Affiliation:
1. Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Abstract
The majority of pathogens, including many of medical and veterinary importance, can infect more than one species of host. Population biology has yet to explain why perceived evolutionary advantages of pathogen specialization are, in practice, outweighed by those of generalization. Factors that predispose pathogens to generalism include high levels of genetic diversity and abundant opportunities for cross-species transmission, and the taxonomic distributions of generalists and specialists appear to reflect these factors. Generalism also has consequences for the evolution of virulence and for pathogen epidemiology, making both much less predictable. The evolutionary advantages and disadvantages of generalism are so finely balanced that even closely related pathogens can have very different host range sizes.
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Reference62 articles.
1. L. H. Taylor et al. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London B in press.
2. S. Cleaveland et al. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London B in press.
3. Office International des Epizooties list A and list B diseases [www.oie.int/eng/maladies/en_classification.htm].
4. The Red Queen Beats the Jack-Of-All-Trades: The Limitations on the Evolution of Phenotypic Plasticity and Niche Breadth
5. Fry J. D., Am. Nat. 148, S84 (1996);
Cited by
624 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献，注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献，订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献