3 ms·
Maybe. Evolution selects for virulence, not death toll. After all, your hosts can't spread you if they're dead.
by Simon_says 9y ago
Maybe.
Evolution selects for virulence, not death toll. After all, your hosts can't spread you if they're dead.
- darpa_escapee 9y ago> After all, your hosts can't spread you if they're dead Arguable. Dead bodies can and do spread disease.
- jacquesm 9y agoBut typically not for very long.
- Simon_says 9y agoI don't have a source at the moment, but there's evidence that infectious agents become less deadly over time. There seems to be evolutionary pressure to not kill hosts.
- ridgeguy 9y agoThis effect may not be helpful to us. Humans can suffer very high death rates due to diseases for which we aren't a host. See the Black Death [1]. The host was fleas, riding rodent vectors. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death