“Population Biology of Infectious Diseases: Part II”, 1979-08-01 (; backlinks; similar):
In the first part of this two-part article (Nature 280, 361–367), mathematical models of directly transmitted microparasitic infections were developed, taking explicit account of the dynamics of the host population. The discussion is now extended to both microparasites (viruses, bacteria and protozoa) and macroparasites (helminths and arthropods), transmitted either directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate hosts. Consideration is given to the relation between the ecology and evolution of the transmission processes and the overall dynamics, and to the mechanisms that can produce cyclic patterns, or multiple stable states, in the levels of infection in the host population.
…This 2-part article has blended some new theoretical studies and new analysis of existing laboratory data with a review and synthesis of past and present models for the overall transmission dynamics of parasitic infections. We have defined ‘parasite’ broadly to include viruses, bacteria and protozoans along with the more conventional helminth and arthropod parasites, and we have concentrated attention upon the circumstances under which the infection may substantially alter the growth rate of its host population.
Some of the theoretical conclusions can be pleasingly supported by hard data, while others remain more speculative. On the whole, our main goal is to help elevate the study of host—parasite population dynamics to its proper place in ecological thinking: parasites (broadly defined) are probably at least as important as the more usually-studied predators and insect parasitoids in regulating natural populations.