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THE EFFECT OF BIODIVERSITY ON THE HANTAVIRUS EPIZOOTIC
Author(s) -
Peixoto Ignacio D.,
Abramson Guillermo
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[873:teobot]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - epizootic , biodiversity , biology , ecology , population , host (biology) , hantavirus , ecosystem , virology , zoology , virus , medicine , environmental health
We analyze a mathematical model of the epizootic of Hantavirus in mice populations, including the effect of species that compete with the host. We show that the existence of the second species has an important consequence for the prevalence of the infectious agent in the host. When the two mice species survive in the ecosystem, the competitive pressure of the second species may lead to reduction or complete elimination of the prevalence of infection. The transition between the disappearance of the infection and its presence occurs at a critical value of the competitor's population, resembling a second‐order phase transition in a statistical system. The results provide a rigorous framework for the study of the impact of biodiversity in the propagation of infectious diseases, and further lends itself to future experimental verification.