Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RP Kreder 2805, 3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2010 Jan;25(1):21-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2009.06.015. Epub 2009 Sep 24.
Epidemiological models and studies of disease ecology typically ignore the role of host condition and immunocompetence when trying to explain the distribution and dynamics of infections and their impact on host dynamics. Recent research, however, indicates that host susceptibility should be considered carefully if we are to understand the mechanism by which parasite dynamics influence host dynamics and vice versa. Studies in insects, fish, amphibians and rodents show that infection occurrence and intensity are more probable and more severe in individuals with an underlying poor condition. Moreover, infection itself results in further deterioration of the host and a 'vicious circle' is created. We argue that this potential synergy between host susceptibility and infection should be more widely acknowledged in disease ecology research.
当试图解释感染的分布和动态及其对宿主动态的影响时，流行病学模型和疾病生态学研究通常忽略宿主状况和免疫能力的作用。然而，最近的研究表明，如果我们要了解寄生虫动态如何影响宿主动态以及反之亦然，那么宿主易感性应该被仔细考虑。昆虫、鱼类、两栖动物和啮齿动物的研究表明，在基础状况较差的个体中，感染的发生和强度更有可能且更严重。此外，感染本身会导致宿主进一步恶化，形成“恶性循环”。我们认为，这种宿主易感性和感染之间的潜在协同作用应该在疾病生态学研究中得到更广泛的认可。
