Related Experiment Videos
Sexually transmitted diseases in animals: ecological and evolutionary implications
A B Lockhart1, P H Thrall, J Antonovics
1Department of Botany, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are more widespread across species than previously thought. These animal STDs share distinct characteristics, differing from non-sexually transmitted infections due to their transmission dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Zoology
- Epidemiology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are often underestimated as a minor category of infectious diseases.
- Their prevalence and impact across numerous animal species are not widely recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical studies on STD dynamics.
- To document the distribution of STDs in the animal kingdom.
- To identify distinguishing characteristics of STDs compared to other infectious diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of theoretical STD dynamics.
- Compilation of data on STD distribution across diverse animal taxa.
- Comparative analysis of mammalian STDs versus non-sexually transmitted diseases.
Main Results:
- Over 200 sexually transmitted diseases were identified across mammals, reptiles, arachnids, insects, molluscs, and nematodes.
- Pathogens included protozoans, fungi, helminths, cancerous cells, bacteria, and viruses.
- Sexually transmitted mammalian diseases exhibited lower mortality, longer host persistence, weaker immune responses, narrower host ranges, and stable prevalence compared to non-sexually transmitted diseases.
Conclusions:
- STD dynamics differ from general infectious diseases due to frequency-dependent transmission.
- Shared characteristics of STDs across species suggest evolutionary convergence driven by transmission ecology, not phylogeny.
- STDs represent a significant and diverse group of animal diseases with unique epidemiological features.