Why infectious disease research needs community ecology

• Authors: Pieter T.J. Johnson, University of Colorado; Jacobus De Roode, Emory University; Andy Fenton, University of Liverpool
• Journal Title: Science
• Volume: Volume 349, Number 6252
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science | 2015-09-04, Pages 1259504-1259504
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259504
• Subjects: Biology, Ecology; Health Sciences, General; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Infectious diseases often emerge from interactions among multiple species and across nested levels of biological organization. Threats as diverse as Ebola virus, human malaria, and bat white-nose syndrome illustrate the need for a mechanistic understanding of the ecological interactions underlying emerging infections. We describe how recent advances in community ecology can be adopted to address contemporary challenges in disease research. These analytical tools can identify the factors governing complex assemblages of multiple hosts, parasites, and vectors, and reveal how processes link across scales from individual hosts to regions. They can also determine the drivers of heterogeneities among individuals, species, and regions to aid targeting of control strategies. We provide examples where these principles have enhanced disease management and illustrate how they can be further extended.