Early arriving parasite strains alter the parasite assemblage of plant host

Article: Facilitative priority effects drive parasite assembly under coinfection

Authors: Halliday, Fletcher et al.

Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Year: 2020

Plant host individuals are often coinfected with diverse parasite assemblages, resulting in complex interactions among parasites within hosts. However, the role of the host’s immunity in the coinfection process remains poorly understood. In this study, researchers tested how the host’s response to the first parasite infection affect its susceptibility to subsequent infections. The results showed that the prior infection by one parasite strain increased susceptibility to other strains and altered the parasite assemblages. The diversity of the parasite strains also distributes spatially and temporally during epidemics.