Heterogeneity in helminth infections: factors influencing aggregation in a simple host-parasite system

R C Tinsley | 12 Dec 2019

The latest Paper of the Month for Parasitology is Heterogeneity in helminth infections: factors influencing aggregation in a simple host–parasite system Parasitic worms are rarely distributed randomly or uniformly in populations of their hosts.  Typically, parasites are unequally distributed with a majority of hosts infected by few or no parasites while a minority carry many parasites.  This heterogeneity has wide-ranging implications: for instance, the small proportion of heavy infections are responsible for the major share of total parasite reproduction and these hosts suffer greatest pathology.  By contrast, the majority of hosts with low worm burdens make little contribution to transmission and experience little harm.  Thus, control strategies to reduce disease in human and animal populations are most effective when directed selectively at the subset of high worm burdens.…