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Summary: BioMed Central
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BMC Evolutionary Biology
Open AccessResearch article
Experimental manipulation of immune-mediated disease and its
fitness costs for rodent malaria parasites
Gráinne H Long*1, Brian HK Chan1, Judith E Allen1, Andrew F Read2 and
Andrea L Graham1
Address: 1Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings,
West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK and 2Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Mueller Laboratory, The
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
Email: Gráinne H Long* - grainnelong@psu.edu; Brian HK Chan - bhc12@psu.edu; Judith E Allen - J.Allen@ed.ac.uk;
Andrew F Read - a.read@psu.edu; Andrea L Graham - Andrea.Graham@ed.ac.uk
* Corresponding author
Abstract
Background: Explaining parasite virulence (harm to the host) represents a major challenge for
evolutionary and biomedical scientists alike. Most theoretical models of virulence evolution assume
that virulence arises as a direct consequence of host exploitation, the process whereby parasites
convert host resources into transmission opportunities. However, infection-induced disease can
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