Dear Majid,
Abstract
Parasite virulence, or the damage a parasite does to its host, is measured in terms of both host costs (reductions in host growth, reproduction and survival) and parasite benefits (increased transmission and parasite numbers) in the literature. Much work has shown that ecological and genetic factors can be strong selective forces in virulence evolution. This review uses kin selection theory to explore how variations in host ecological parameters impact the genetic relatedness of parasite populations and thus virulence. We provide a broad overview of virulence and population genetics studies and then draw connections to existing knowledge about natural parasite populations. The impact of host movement (transporting parasites) and host resistance (filtering parasites) on the genetic structure and virulence of parasite populations is explored, and empirical studies of these factors using Plasmodium and trematode systems are proposed.
For more information, please refer to the links below.
Regards
SM Najim
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology/article/can-host-ecology-and-kin-selection-predict-parasite-virulence/39A2BADABB337AC93B951D4DC3378C97
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/588077?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/pdf/S0169-5347(13)00197-3.pdf
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