Pathogenicity and virulence.
Invertebrate pathologists have multiple definitions for the terms pathogenicity and virulence, and these definitions vary across disciplines that focus on host-pathogen interactions. We surveyed various literatures, including plant pathology, invertebrate pathology, evolutionary biology, and medicine, and found most define pathogenicity as the broader term, which incorporates virulence. Virulence is seen as the severity of disease manifestation that can only be measured in infected individuals. These definitions readily apply to both lethal and non-lethal diseases. Invertebrate pathologists commonly use dose-response bioassays to estimate LD(50) or LC(50) (dose or concentration needed to kill 50% of hosts exposed). These bioassays measure pathogenicity if the bioassay includes a transmission component, and measure virulence if the bioassay is measured in infected individuals only. Another common bioassay estimate is LT(50) (median time to death of infected hosts), which is a measure of virulence as long as survivors are not included in its calculation.
Thomas
Stephen R
SR
Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Elkinton
Joseph S
JS
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014774:Virulence