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Published on: January 18, 2014
Fatal or harmless: extreme bistability induced by sterilizing, sexually transmitted pathogens
1Department of Biosystematics and Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre ASCR, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. berec@entu.cas.cz
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
|January 8, 2013
Summary
Sexually transmitted infections in animals can lead to either disease-free populations or extinction due to pathogen-driven extinction. This mathematical model suggests using these pathogens for pest control.
Area of Science:
- Mathematical epidemiology
- Disease ecology
- Animal population dynamics
Background:
- Existing models of sexually transmitted infections often uncouple mating from reproduction.
- This assumption is inaccurate for many animal species where mating directly links to reproduction and pathogen transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the dynamics of sterilizing, sexually transmitted infections in animals where reproduction and pathogen transmission are coupled.
- To investigate the impact of such infections on host population stability.
Main Methods:
- Developed a mathematical model integrating reproduction and pathogen transmission processes.
- Analyzed the model to identify population dynamics under different initial conditions.
Main Results:
- Highly sterilizing, sexually transmitted pathogens induce bistability in host populations.
- Populations can stabilize in either a disease-free state or a pathogen-driven extinct state.
Conclusions:
- The coupling of mating, reproduction, and transmission is critical for understanding disease dynamics in animals.
- These findings suggest potential applications in pest control by introducing or enhancing sterilizing pathogens.
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