Prior exposure to pathogens augments host heterogeneity in susceptibility and has key epidemiological consequences.

ABSTRACT: Pathogen epidemics are key threats to human and wildlife health. Across systems, host protection from pathogens following initial exposure is often incomplete, resulting in recurrent epidemics through partially-immune hosts. Variation in population-level protection has important consequences for epidemic dynamics, but how acquired protection influences inter-individual heterogeneity in susceptibility and its epidemiological consequences remains understudied. We experimentally investigated whether prior exposure (none, low-dose, or high-dose) to a bacterial pathogen alters host heterogeneity in susceptibility among songbirds. Hosts with no prior pathogen exposure had little variation in protection, but heterogeneity in susceptibility was significantly augmented by prior pathogen exposure, w

SUBMITTER: Hawley DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10942282 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature