On the principle of host evolution in host–pathogen interactions

Abstract

In this paper, we use a two-host one pathogen immuno-epidemiological model to argue that the principle for host evolution, when the host is subjected to a fatal disease, is minimization of the case fatality proportion F. This principle is valid whether the disease is chronic or leads to recovery. In the case of continuum of hosts, stratified by their immune response stimulation rate a, we suggest that F(a) has a minimum because a trade-off exists between virulence to the host induced by the pathogen and virulence induced by the immune response. We find that the minimization of the case fatality proportion is an evolutionary stable strategy for the host.