The Adaptive Dynamics of Infectious Diseases: In Pursuit of Virulence Management.

Emerging diseases pose a continual threat to public health. Fast
multiplication and high rates of genetic change allow pathogens to
evolve very rapidly. It is therefore imperative to incorporate
evolutionary considerations into longer-term health management
plans. The evolution of infectious diseases is also an ideal
test-bed for theories of evolutionary dynamics. This book combines
both threads, taking stock of our current knowledge on the
evolutionary ecology of infectious diseases, and setting out the
goals for the management of virulent pathogens. Throughout the
book, the fundamental concepts and techniques that underlie the
modeling are carefully explained in a unique series of integrated
boxes. The book ends with an overview of novel options for
virulence management in humans, farm animals, plants, wildlife
populations, as well as in pests and their natural enemies.