Disease

Definition of disease
Bio 130
By: Jody Huang

a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces
specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of
physical injury. Diseases are a leading source of human morbidity, food production, and the
conservation of wildlife.

Diseases spread in three parts

“(1) Cross-species host-host interactions, (2) Virus-
host interactions, and (3) Interspecies host-host
interactions. Cross species host-host interactions is
when the host species and the recipient species
first make contact through saliva, nasal secretions,
and feces. Virus-host interactions is the process in
which the virus infects a host cell’s machinery in
order to spread the disease. Lastly interspecies
host-host interactions which is the transfer of
virus between the infected and non infected hosts
within a species”1 . The most common factor that
occur for emerging diseases due to multiple hosts,
vectors, or sites where organisms can come into
contact with the environment.

Figure 1: Ecological hierarchies applied to host-parasite

interactions and analogous processes in community ecology2
Examples of species interactions with
disease
1. triatomine bugs which transmit Trypanosoma cruzi,
which causes the Chagas disease in South America2
2. HIV caused by parasites that disrupt immune
functions
3. Co-infection with parasitic worms
4. The Bubonic Plague during the Middle Ages
5. The Swine Flu
6. Ebola outbreaks which main affects gorilla and
chimps
7. Rabies
Figure 2: How community ecology can inform infectious
disease management2
Disease Prevention Methods:
1. The most commonly adopted strategies include culling (for animals, plants, and disease
vectors), behavioral modifications including quarantine and social distancing, and
vaccination.3
2. Quarantines and social distancing are efforts to decrease contact rates between infectious
and susceptible individuals and have been applied successfully for human pathogens,
including SARS and HIV. 3
3. Vaccination, is an attempt to increase herd immunity — the fraction of the population
that is immune to infection, either from prior exposure or vaccination. 3

Why do we even care? How does it apply to our class?

Diseases have devastating impacts on ecological communities and species. They can eradicate
an entire species if left untreated and actions are taken to prevent further damage to the
population. Not only can diseases eradicate individuals, but also impact the fitness of the
individual to reproduce and pass along genes that would increase the chance to reproduce
once more. Diseases may also impact the factors within the environment such as food sources,
water, and habitats.

Sources
1. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/potm/2006_4/Page2.htm
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863701/
3. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/disease-ecology-15947677