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

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

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    79 Scopus citations

    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.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)953-958
    Number of pages6
    JournalNature Reviews Microbiology
    Volume4
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Dec 2006

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Microbiology
    • General Immunology and Microbiology
    • Infectious Diseases

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