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Evolutionary consequences of predation for pathogens in prey.

Maia Martcheva¹

¹Department of Mathematics, University of Florida, 358 Little Hall, P.O. Box 118105, Gainesville, FL 32611-8105, USA. maia@math.ufl.edu

Bulletin of Mathematical Biology

|March 6, 2009

Summary

Predators can alter pathogen competition dynamics. Discriminatory predation by generalists may shift dominant strains, while specialists can enable pathogen coexistence, potentially increasing disease load.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Epidemiology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Pathogen strains often compete within a host population.
Predation is a significant ecological factor influencing host-pathogen dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how different predator types (generalist and specialist) affect the competitive exclusion and coexistence of two pathogen strains in prey.
To determine the conditions under which predation can alter the dominance of pathogen strains or facilitate their coexistence.

Main Methods:

Mathematical modeling of host-pathogen-predator interactions.
Analysis of pathogen strain competition under varying predation pressures.
Consideration of predator discrimination between susceptible and infected prey.

Main Results:

Without predation, the pathogen strain with a higher reproduction number competitively excludes the other.
Discriminatory generalist predation can lead to a switch in the dominant pathogen strain depending on predation intensity.
Discriminatory specialist predation can mediate the coexistence of both pathogen strains.
Increased predation typically reduces disease load, but can increase it when it leads to pathogen coexistence.

Conclusions:

Predation is a crucial factor in shaping pathogen community structure within host populations.
The type of predator and its foraging strategy significantly influence pathogen competition outcomes.
Predation can paradoxically increase disease burden by promoting pathogen diversity and coexistence.