title: Evolution of Bacterial Pathogens Within the Human Host.
abstract: Selective pressures within the human host, including interactions with innate and adaptive immune responses, exposure to medical interventions such as antibiotics, and competition with commensal microbiota all facilitate the evolution of bacterial pathogens. In this chapter, we present examples of pathogen strategies that emerged as a result of selective pressures within the human host niche and discuss the resulting coevolutionary "arms race" between these organisms. In bacterial pathogens, many of the genes responsible for these strategies are encoded on mobile pathogenicity islands or plasmids, underscoring the importance of horizontal gene transfer in the emergence of virulent microbial species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bliven
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Maurelli
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D005075:Biological Evolution; D006801:Humans; D012641:Selection, Genetic