Pathogen Host Shifts from a Niche Evolution Perspective
Emerging infectious diseases constitute a major health threat and are often associated with zoonotic spillover processes. Pathogen host shifts may involve evolutionary adaptation to new host species, which is of central concern in relation to future pandemics. Evolutionary host shifts require certain conditions to be met, including physiological and ecological factors. A pathogen strain infecting…
Emerging infectious diseases pose a significant health risk, often resulting from zoonotic spillover events. Pathogen host shifts, involving adaptation to new host species, are of great concern in the context of potential future pandemics. These shifts necessitate specific conditions, including physiological and ecological factors.
When a pathogen strain targets a new host species to which it is not well-suited, its success is generally diminished, contingent on the resemblance between the new host and the pathogen's original reservoir host.
Pathogen adaptation unfolds through intermediate strains or phenotypes, which exhibit reduced transmission and replication rates. The evolutionary outcome hinges on factors related to host species physiology and population dynamics. The relationship between host similarity, interaction, and pathogen adaptation trade-offs plays a crucial role in determining pathogen evolution and possible evolutionary host-shift outcomes.
To explore these dynamics, we apply niche-evolution theory to host-pathogen systems. Our investigation reveals the combined impact of host species similarity and both intra- and interspecific interactions on evolutionary host shifts. By examining a two-host-species system, we identify four distinct categories of evolutionary outcomes.
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