Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
11:13
Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
14.7K
Infectious diseases and social distancing in nature
Sebastian Stockmaier1, Nathalie Stroeymeyt2, Eric C Shattuck3
1University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology, Austin, TX, USA. sebastian.stockmaier@utexas.edu.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 6, 2021
Summary
Pathogens alter social behavior in animals, influencing disease spread. Understanding these pathogen-induced changes in social interactions is crucial for managing infectious diseases and understanding evolution.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Epidemiology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Contagious pathogen spread relies on host contact rates.
- Altered social behavior in individuals impacts disease dynamics.
- Social distancing is a known human disease management strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize pathogen effects on animal social interactions.
- Review mechanisms of pathogen-induced social changes.
- Explore evolutionary and epidemiological implications.
Main Methods:
- Literature synthesis and review.
- Analysis of animal behavior studies.
- Cross-species comparison of social responses to pathogens.
Main Results:
- Pathogens demonstrably alter social behavior across diverse animal taxa.
- Mechanisms include direct manipulation and indirect effects.
- Changes in sociality have significant epidemiological consequences.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen-driven social behavior modification is a widespread phenomenon.
- Understanding these changes is vital for disease control and evolutionary insights.
- Further research can integrate behavioral ecology with epidemiology.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Infection
11.8K
When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
11.8K
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
14.1K
The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
14.1K
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
2.0K
Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
2.0K
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
5.1K
Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
5.1K
01:28Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence
100
Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable...
100
01:30Reservoir of Infection
110
Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
110