The evolutionary cost of homophily: Social stratification facilitates stable variant coexistence and increased rates of evolution in host-associated pathogens.

ABSTRACT: Coexistence of multiple strains of a pathogen in a host population can present significant challenges to vaccine development or treatment efficacy. Here we discuss a novel mechanism that can increase rates of long-lived strain polymorphism, rooted in the presence of social structure in a host population. We show that social preference of interaction, in conjunction with differences in immunity between host subgroups, can exert varying selection pressure on pathogen strains, creating a balancing mechanism that supports stable viral coexistence, independent of other known mechanisms. We use population genetic models to study rates of pathogen heterozygosity as a function of population size, host population composition, mutant strain fitness differences and host social preferences of interact

SUBMITTER: Li S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11623455 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature