Biology 1001A Chapter Notes -Malaria, Antimicrobial Resistance
11 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
Lecture 22 arms races and virulence independent study outcomes: factors influencing why some pathogens (disease-causing organisms) evolve towards greater virulence (harmfulness) If pathogens don"t need host to be transmitted, natural selection will favour pathogens that are more harmful and will exploit the host. Bacteria that are transmitted by water evolve to be more harmful because water-borne pathogens don"t need hosts to be transmitted: how reducing a pathogen"s opportunity for water-borne and vector-borne transmission is predicted to affect its virulence. If you reduce the pathogen"s opportunity for water-borne transmission then the pathogen will evolve to be milder: possible solution for water-borne pathogens: clean up water supplies and block water-borne transmission. Vector-borne diseases are more harmful than water-borne (e. g. malaria transmitted via mosquitos: possible solution: vector-proof houses/ hospitals.
