Prophylactic host behaviour discourages pathogen exploitation

JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY

卷:503

Article

Mitchell, Evan¹  Wild, Geoff¹ 

[1] Western Univ, Dept Appl Math, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada

关键词: Disease dynamics;    Evolution;    Game theory;    Mathematical model;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110388

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Much work has considered the evolution of pathogens, but little is known about how they respond to changes in host behaviour. We build a model of sublethal disease effects where hosts are able to choose to engage in prophylactic measures that reduce the likelihood of disease transmission. This choice is mediated by utility costs and benefits associated with prophylaxis, and the fraction of hosts engaged in prophylaxis is also affected by population dynamics. When prophylactic host behaviour occurs, we find that the level of pathogen host exploitation is reduced, by the action of selection, relative to the level that would otherwise be predicted in the absence of prophylaxis. Our work emphasizes the significance of the transmission-recovery trade-off faced by the pathogen and the ability of the pathogen to influence host prophylactic behaviour. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free