Fwd: [evol-psych] Article: Can Interacting Pathogens Explain Disease Patterns?

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Begin forwarded message:

> From: " Karl Stonjek " <stonjek@...>

> Date: December 15, 2007 6:12:12 AM EST

> evolutionary-psychology

> Subject: [evol-psych] Article: Can Interacting Pathogens Explain

> Disease Patterns?

> Reply-evolutionary-psychology

>

>

> Can Interacting Pathogens Explain Disease Patterns?

>

> ScienceDaily (Dec. 14, 2007) — A new study into the way in which

> parasites interact with each other could help predict when

> infectious diseases are likely to break out.

>

> A group of scientists in the UK and the US has been studying the

> behaviour of infectious parasites in rabbits. The findings could

> lead to us being able to predict more successfully when infectious

> cyclical diseases in humans are likely to occur.

>

> The team from Cardiff University's School of Biosciences,

> University of Stirling, University of Liverpool and Penn State

> University, Pennsylvania, have discovered that when rabbits are

> infected with more than one disease at a time, the diseases can

> interact with each other, changing their courses and potentially

> resulting in a more severe infection.

>

> Most animals including humans are infected with more than one

> disease at any one time.

>

> The research findings point to the possibility that any disease

> which follows a natural cycle could have that cycle changed by an

> interaction with another disease.

>

> Dr Joanne Lello, Cardiff School of Biosciences, said that the

> findings provide a new way of looking for interactions between

> organisms which cause disease and provides another piece in the

> puzzle in terms of understanding how pathogens behave.

>

> She said: " There has been a long standing debate as to whether co-

> infecting organisms interact with one another or whether

> interactions matter in natural pathogen systems. The debate

> continues because these interactions are so hard to detect in nature.

>

> " What this study has provided us with is a new method of detection.

> For example, when we test this method on real data, such as where

> we examine changes in parasitic worm numbers in rabbits, it reveals

> changes in seasonal patterns of one type of worm when another type

> is present.

>

> " Many diseases show cycles and if interactions change these cycles

> then there could be wide-ranging consequences and understanding

> this can help us better understand pathogen patterns. For example

> it could help scientists to predict more clearly when parasite

> outbreaks may occur. "

>

> " The whole subject of co-infection biology is very exciting as it

> has implications for everything from theoretical biology to how we

> treat infectious diseases. "

>

> The study is detailed in the leading scientific journal American

> Naturalist.

>

> The paper " Pathogen interactions, population cycles and phase

> shifts " is published in The American Naturalist in January.

>

>

> Adapted from materials provided by Cardiff University

>

> Cardiff University (2007, December 14). Can Interacting Pathogens

> Explain Disease Patterns?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 15,

> 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/

> 2007/12/071212201328.htm

>

> Comment:

> Funny - wasn't I just talking about this an hour ago - and then a

> news alert arrives saying the same thing ~ amazing

>

> Posted by

> Karl Stonjek

>

>