Pangloss revisited: a critique of the dilution effect and the biodiversity-buffers-disease paradigm

Parasitology
Sarah E Randolph, Andrew Dobson

Abstract

The twin concepts of zooprophylaxis and the dilution effect originated with vector-borne diseases (malaria), were driven forward by studies on Lyme borreliosis and have now developed into the mantra "biodiversity protects against disease". The basic idea is that by diluting the assemblage of transmission-competent hosts with non-competent hosts, the probability of vectors feeding on transmission-competent hosts is reduced and so the abundance of infected vectors is lowered. The same principle has recently been applied to other infectious disease systems--tick-borne, insect-borne, indirectly transmitted via intermediate hosts, directly transmitted. It is claimed that the presence of extra species of various sorts, acting through a variety of distinct mechanisms, causes the prevalence of infectious agents to decrease. Examination of the theoretical and empirical evidence for this hypothesis reveals that it applies only in certain circumstances even amongst tick-borne diseases, and even less often if considering the correct metric--abundance rather than prevalence of infected vectors. Whether dilution or amplification occurs depends more on specific community composition than on biodiversity per se. We warn against raising a straw...Continue Reading

References

Nov 1, 1992·Journal of Medical Entomology·J S GrayJ Stein
Mar 1, 1992·The Journal of Infectious Diseases·F R MatuschkaA Spielman
Nov 1, 1990·Journal of Medical Entomology·M L WilsonA Spielman
Jan 1, 1985·Annual Review of Entomology·A SpielmanJ Piesman
Mar 1, 1970·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·A D Hess, R O Hayes
Jan 1, 1981·Annual Review of Entomology·H Hoogstraal
Jul 1, 1995·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·M Bouma, M Rowland
Sep 1, 1995·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·J R Clover, R S Lane
Jul 1, 1995·American Journal of Public Health·G E GlassE Israel
May 1, 1993·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·F R MatuschkaA Spielman
Mar 6, 1998·Infection and Immunity·K KurtenbachP A Nuttall
Mar 7, 1998·Parasitology·N H OgdenS E Randolph
May 30, 1998·Journal of Medical Entomology·K KurtenbachS E Randolph
May 15, 1998·Zentralblatt Für Bakteriologie : International Journal of Medical Microbiology·L GernP A Nuttall
Aug 28, 1999·Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·P Zeman, J Januska
Oct 8, 1999·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Z Hubálek, J Halouzka
Apr 19, 2000·Journal of Pediatric Surgery·Y IinumaY Baba
Oct 31, 2000·Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases·P M JensenF Frandsen
Nov 21, 2000·Parasitology·F R MatuschkaD Richter
Oct 5, 2001·Emerging Infectious Diseases·B MurgueH Zeller
Jan 15, 2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Kathleen LoGiudiceFelicia Keesing
Mar 11, 2003·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Claus BøghSteve W Lindsay
Mar 20, 2003·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Nicholas KomarMichel Bunning
Aug 2, 2003·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Debra L MillerKendal S Frazier
Oct 3, 2003·The Lancet Infectious Diseases·Olli VapalahtiAntti Vaheri
Jun 23, 2004·PLoS Biology·Vanina GuernierJean-François Guégan
Nov 13, 2004·The American Naturalist·Andrew Dobson
Nov 13, 2004·The American Naturalist·Alison G Power, Charles E Mitchell
Dec 21, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jean I TsaoAlan G Barbour
Feb 5, 2005·Journal of Medical Entomology·Michael J TurellJamie A Blow
Jul 19, 2005·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ryan F Hechinger, Kevin D Lafferty
Feb 2, 2006·Oecologia·Lynn B MartinMartin Wikelski

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 23, 2012·Journal of Mathematical Biology·M G Roberts, J A P Heesterbeek
Aug 6, 2013·International Journal for Parasitology·Miriam PfäffleTrevor N Petney
May 1, 2013·Preventive Veterinary Medicine·A B KristoffersenS St-Hilaire
Dec 4, 2012·Lancet·A Marm Kilpatrick, Sarah E Randolph
Dec 20, 2013·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Christelle LacroixElizabeth T Borer
Jun 28, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Zheng Y X HuangHerbert H T Prins
Sep 27, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Nyeema C Harris, Robert R Dunn
Jul 3, 2013·Parasites & Vectors·Catherine BouchardNick H Ogden
Apr 4, 2013·Environmental Health Perspectives·Sharon Levy
Apr 5, 2013·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Gabriel Zorello LaportaMaria Anice Mureb Sallum
Sep 29, 2012·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Sarah A HamerGabriel L Hamer
Jan 10, 2014·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Sanja SelakovicHans Heesterbeek
Jul 10, 2014·The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research·Richard Kock
Mar 13, 2014·Parasitology·A K TurnerM Begon
Apr 30, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Hillary S YoungKatharina Dittmar
Oct 10, 2014·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·C Guilherme BeckerKelly R Zamudio
Aug 16, 2014·Viruses·Claudia Kohl, Andreas Kurth
Apr 15, 2014·Journal of Medical Entomology·C C LordW J Tabachnick
Jun 13, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·David J CivitelloJason R Rohr
Feb 3, 2016·Evolutionary Applications·Joanne P WebsterAndy Fenton
Feb 19, 2013·Current Opinion in Virology·Kris A Murray, Peter Daszak
Nov 28, 2012·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Chelsea L Wood, Kevin D Lafferty
Jun 18, 2014·Ecology·Chelsea L WoodArmand M Kuris
Feb 3, 2016·International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife·Filipe Dantas-Torres
Mar 2, 2013·Ecology Letters·Hillary YoungCharles L Nunn
Oct 22, 2013·Ecology Letters·Maxwell B JosephSara H Paull
Oct 23, 2014·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Nienke HarteminkHans Van Dyck

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antimalarial Agents (ASM)

Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.

Antimalarial Agents

Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is caused by parasites of the genus babesia, which are transmitted in nature by the bite of an infected tick. Discover the latest research on babesiosis here.