Population and transmission dynamics of cowpox in bank voles: testing fundamental assumptions

Citation
M. Begon et al., Population and transmission dynamics of cowpox in bank voles: testing fundamental assumptions, ECOL LETT, 1(2), 1998, pp. 82-86
Citations number
16
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
ECOLOGY LETTERS
ISSN journal
1461-023X → ACNP
Volume
1
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
82 - 86
Database
ISI
SICI code
1461-023X(199809)1:2<82:PATDOC>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
The idea that the rate of production of new infections, of directly transmi tted microparasites, is a reflection of an interaction between the number o f infectious hosts and the number of susceptible hosts in a population is c entral to our understanding of dynamical processes in epidemiology. Empiric al support for the idea has been seriously lacking, especially for endemic infections in natural hosts, but is provided here for cowpox virus infectio n in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), using alternative descriptions o f transmission dynamics: true and pseudo mass action. The former appears, o verall, to give a better description of the dynamics. Transmission rates di ffer in two natural populations, but both support previously untested theor ies on the allometric scaling of transmission rates.