Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Ecohealth. 2011 Sep;8(3):261-7. doi: 10.1007/s10393-011-0718-6. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
Pathogens traverse disciplinary and taxonomic boundaries, yet infectious disease research occurs in many separate disciplines including plant pathology, veterinary and human medicine, and ecological and evolutionary sciences. These disciplines have different traditions, goals, and terminology, creating gaps in communication. Bridging these disciplinary and taxonomic gaps promises novel insights and important synergistic advances in control of infectious disease. An approach integrated across the plant-animal divide would advance our understanding of disease by quantifying critical processes including transmission, community interactions, pathogen evolution, and complexity at multiple spatial and temporal scales. These advances require more substantial investment in basic disease research.
病原体跨越了学科和分类学的界限，但传染病研究发生在许多不同的学科中，包括植物病理学、兽医和人类医学以及生态和进化科学。这些学科有不同的传统、目标和术语，这就造成了沟通上的隔阂。弥合这些学科和分类学上的差距有望为传染病的控制带来新的见解和重要的协同进展。在跨越动植物界限的基础上采取综合方法，通过量化包括传播、群落相互作用、病原体进化以及在多个时空尺度上的复杂性在内的关键过程，将增进我们对疾病的理解。这些进展需要在基础疾病研究方面进行更多的实质性投资。
