Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii inside the rodent host and the tick vector

This study suggests that in multiple-strain vector-borne pathogens there are trade-offs in competitive ability between the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Such trade-offs could play an important role in the coexistence of pathogen strains.

Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - October 31, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Genne, D., Sarr, A., Gomez-Chamorro, A., Durand, J., Cayol, C., Rais, O., Voordouw, M. J. Tags: ecology, health and disease and epidemiology Source Type: research