Infectious diseases are known to regulate population dynamics, an observation that underlies the use of pathogens as control agents of unwanted populations. Sterilizing rather than lethal pathogens are often suggested so as to avoid unnecessary suffering of the infected hosts. Until recently, models used to assess plausibility of pathogens as potential pest control agents have not included a possibility that reduced fecundity of the infected individuals may save their energy expenditure on reproduction and thus increase their longevity relative to the susceptible ones. Here, we develop a model of host-pathogen interaction that builds on this idea. We analyze the model for a variety of infection transmission functions, revealing that the indirect effect of sterilizing pathogens on mortality of the infected hosts, mediated by a fecundity-longevity trade-off, may cause hosts at endemic equilibria to attain densities higher than when there is no effect of pathogens on host mortality. On the other hand, an opposite outcome occurs when the fecundity-longevity trade-off is concave or when the degree of fecundity reduction by the pathogen is high enough. This points to a possibility that using sterilizing pathogens as agents of pest control may actually be less effective than previously thought, the more so since we also suggest that if sexual selection acts on the host species then the presence of sterilizing pathogens may even enhance host densities above the levels achieved without infection.

• MeSH
• dlouhověkost * MeSH
• energetický metabolismus * MeSH
• fertilita * MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu * MeSH
• kontrola škůdců MeSH
• populační dynamika MeSH
• sterilizace MeSH
• teoretické modely * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

• MeSH
• chemické techniky analytické metody   normy   MeSH
• chromatografie plynová metody   využití   MeSH
• fyzikální chemie metody   normy   MeSH
• gelová chromatografie metody   využití   MeSH
• klinické laboratorní techniky využití   MeSH
• kontaminace potravin analýza   MeSH
• pesticidy analýza   chemie   MeSH
• polychlorované bifenyly analýza   chemie   MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH