Virulence and resistance in malaria: who drives the outcome of the infection?
Theoretical and experimental studies have established the dynamic nature of virulence and that, like all traits, it has evolved. Understanding parasite evolution offers a conceptual framework for diverse fields and can contribute greatly to decision-making in disease control. Recently, Grech et al. investigated the effects of host genotype-by-parasite genotype interactions on the expression of virulence in an artificial rodent-malaria system. They found that both parasite and host effects explained most of the variance in the virulence, resistance and transmission potential. These findings are a major contribution to the emerging debate on the pros and cons of a coevolutionary approach of virulence evolution; they also hold great potential for more effective control strategies.
Lefèvre
Thierry
T
Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Sanchez
Marta
M
Ponton
Fleur
F
Hughes
David
D
Thomas
Frédéric
F
D000818:Animals; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence