Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
10:35
Vector Competence Analyses on Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes using Zika Virus
Published on: May 31, 2020
Viral Infection Risk Driven by Ecological Trait Susceptibility to Habitat Heterogeneity
Adrian D Zamfir1, Bisola M Babalola1, Miguel A Mora1
1Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP UPM-CSIC/INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and E.T.S.I. Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Madrid, Spain.
Molecular Ecology
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Pathogen emergence is influenced by host exploitation in diverse environments. Understanding ecological strategies and evolutionary history is key to predicting infection risk and disease spread.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Pathology
Background:
- Disease transmission and pathogen emergence are driven by host exploitation traits in heterogeneous environments.
- Accurate forecasting of infection risk requires understanding pathogen resource use across diverse host communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze virus host use by examining incidence responses to habitat heterogeneity for 18 plant viruses.
- To compare evolutionary histories and transmission modes as drivers of infection risk across different habitats.
Main Methods:
- Estimated virus incidence responses to habitat heterogeneity.
- Analyzed 18 plant viruses with varying horizontal transmission modes.
- Compared responses across four habitats with contrasting anthropogenic disturbance levels.
Main Results:
- Plant community composition variation across habitats significantly shaped virus incidence responses.
- Virus transmission mode and evolutionary history, alongside ecological drivers, influenced incidence responses to habitat heterogeneity.
- Both ecological and evolutionary factors determine pathogen host exploitation.
Conclusions:
- Habitat heterogeneity and plant community composition are critical in shaping virus incidence.
- Understanding the interplay of ecological and evolutionary factors is essential for predicting pathogen emergence and infection risk.
- This study provides a foundation for improved forecasting of disease dynamics.
Keywords:
disease ecologydisturbanceecological fittinghost rangeplant virusesresource utilisationtransmissionMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:26Human Virome
The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
01:29Malaria
Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...