Ewald P W
Department of Biology, Amherst College, MA 01002, USA.
J Urban Health. 1998 Sep;75(3):480-91. doi: 10.1007/BF02427686.
Insights into the evolution of virulence may aid efforts to control or even prevent emerging diseases. Specifically, dangerous pathogens can be distinguished from those that pose relatively little threat by identifying characteristics that favor intense exploitation of hosts by pathogens, hence causing high virulence. Studies to date have implicated several such characteristics, including transmission by vectors, attendants, water, and durable propagules. These insights may improve the return on investments in disease control by directing effort and resources to the most-dangerous emerging pathogens. The approach also should help us to identify those control measures that will guard against the future emergence of dangerous pathogens, even those that have not yet been identified.
深入了解毒力的演变可能有助于控制甚至预防新出现的疾病。具体而言，通过识别有利于病原体强烈利用宿主从而导致高毒力的特征，可以将危险病原体与那些构成相对较小威胁的病原体区分开来。迄今为止的研究已经涉及到几个这样的特征，包括通过媒介、接触者、水和持久性繁殖体传播。这些见解可能会通过将精力和资源导向最危险的新出现病原体，提高疾病控制投资的回报率。这种方法还应该帮助我们确定那些能够防范未来出现危险病原体的控制措施，即使是那些尚未被识别的病原体。
