Reference no: EM133346887
Case: The histograms depicted above present data consistent with the trade off hypothesis for virulence in evolving pathogens, showing frequencies for different virulence levels (Deaths per infection). One histogram presents data for pathogens that are directly transmitted and one presents data for pathogens that are vectorborne.
HIV infection/AIDS is characterised in some regions by >10% Deaths per infection.
SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19 is characterised in those same regions by approximately 1.5% Deaths per infection.
Use these values in answering this question.
i. According to the trade-off hypothesis, selection favors pathogens that replicate very slowly within their hosts, so that pathogen populations grow, hosts are relatively unaffected, and transmission rates remain very high.
ii. The trade-off hypothesis can be used to predict that pathogens involved in directly transmitted diseases generally should be less virulent than are pathogens involved in vectorborne diseases.
iii. HIV would be represented in the upper histogram.
iv. SARS-CoV-2 would be represented in the lower histogram.