title: Transmission consequences of coinfection: cytokines writ large?
abstract: Coinfection of a host by multiple parasite species is commonly observed and recent epidemiological work indicates that coinfection can enhance parasite transmission. This article proposes an immunoepidemiological framework to understand how within-host interactions during coinfection might affect between-host transmission. Cytokines, immune signalling molecules with a fundamental role in the amplification of antiparasitic effector mechanisms, provide a useful way to simplify immunological complexity for this endeavour--focusing on cytokines offers analytical tractability without sacrificing realism. Testable predictions about the epidemiological consequences of coinfection are generated by this conceptual framework.
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Evolution, Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. andrea.graham@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Isabella M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Cattadori
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lloyd-Smith
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Ottar N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Bjørnstad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D010271:Parasites / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines