DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Evolution of Parasite Virulence: Experimental Tests using a Lethal Salamander Virus

论文研究：寄生虫毒力的进化：使用致命蝾螈病毒的实验测试

• 批准号: 0309099
• 负责人: James Collins
• 金额: $ 1.16万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0309099&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Evolution; Parasite; Virulence

Pathogens play an important role in the health, welfare, and survival of wildlife, agricultural, and human populations. Only recently, however, has it become evident how quickly pathogens can change, rapidly developing drug resistance, adapting to new hosts, and becoming more (and less) virulent. These changes may be predictable. By understanding how traits beneficial to a pathogen (e.g., reproduction and transmission) are linked to potentially costly traits (like harming one's host), we may be able to explain how pathogens change under certain ecological conditions. The proposed research will first examine the relationship between replication, transmission, and virulence, using a lethal virus of salamanders as a model system. Then, using these relationships among traits, it will assess how this virus changes its level of virulence under conditions favoring or inhibiting transmission. Understanding how and why virulence changes over time can make epidemics predictable, and potentially more easily controlled.

病原体在野生动物、农业和人类的健康、福利和生存方面发挥着重要作用。 然而，直到最近，病原体变化的速度才变得明显，迅速产生耐药性，适应新的宿主，变得更强（或更弱）。 这些变化是可以预测的。 通过了解对病原体有益的性状（例如，繁殖和传播）与潜在的代价高昂的性状（如伤害宿主）有关，我们也许能够解释病原体在某些生态条件下如何变化。 这项拟议中的研究将首先研究复制、传播和毒力之间的关系，使用蝾螈的致命病毒作为模型系统。 然后，利用这些性状之间的关系，它将评估这种病毒在有利于或抑制传播的条件下如何改变其毒力水平。 了解毒力如何以及为什么会随着时间的推移而变化，可以使流行病可预测，并可能更容易控制。