The evolution and maintenance of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus: a role for host-to-host transmission?

abstract

• Despite progress in our understanding of infectious disease biology and prevention, the conditions that select for the establishment and maintenance of microbial virulence remain enigmatic. To address this aspect of pathogen biology, we focus on two members of the Staphylococcus genus - Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis - and consider why S. aureus has evolved to become more virulent than S. epidermidis. Several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon are discussed and a mathematical model is used to argue that a complex transmission pathway is the key factor in explaining the evolution and maintenance of virulence in S. aureus. In the case of S. epidermidis, where skin contact affords easier transmission between hosts, high levels of virulence do not offer an advantage to this pathogen.

authors

• Hook, Magnus

published proceedings

• Nat Rev Microbiol

altmetric score

• 6

author list (cited authors)

• Massey, R. C., Horsburgh, M. J., Lina, G., Hk, M., & Recker, M.

citation count

• 73

complete list of authors

• Massey, Ruth C||Horsburgh, Malcolm J||Lina, Gerard||Höök, Magnus||Recker, Mario

publication date

• January 2006

publisher

• Springer Nature  Publisher

published in

• Nature Reviews Microbiology  Journal

keywords

• Adaptation, Biological
• Biological Evolution
• Ecosystem
• Humans
• Models, Biological
• Staphylococcal Infections
• Staphylococcus
• Staphylococcus Aureus
• Staphylococcus Epidermidis
• Virulence

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1038/nrmicro1551

start page

• 953

end page

• 958

volume

• 4

issue

• 12

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1551

user-defined tag

• 3 Good Health and Well-Being