title: How diseases affect symbiotic communities.
abstract: Examples of species living in symbiotic communities are well known among biologists. In this study we extend our previous analysis of predator-prey or competing models subject to a disease spreading among one of the species to populations mutually benefiting from interactions. We assume that one of the species is subject to a disease which cannot cross the species barrier and investigate the behavior of such a community. Our findings indicate that there are parameter ranges for which an interesting phenomenon occurs. Namely, the equilibrium shifts to a higher value. That is, the disease seems to have a positive effect on the environment as also field experiments show.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Matematica, Universita' di Torino, Via Carlo Alberto 10, 10123 Torino, Italy. ezio.venturino@unito.it
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venturino
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013559:Symbiosis