Infectious diseases and social distancing in nature

作者：Sebastian Stockmaier, Nathalie Stroeymeyt, Eric C. Shattuck, Dana M. Hawley, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Daniel I. Bolnick · 发表于：Science · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1126/science.abc8881 · 被引用次数：194 · 研究领域：Zoonotic diseases and public health、COVID-19 epidemiological studies、Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology

Spread of contagious pathogens critically depends on the number and types of contacts between infectious and susceptible hosts. Changes in social behavior by susceptible, exposed, or sick individuals thus have far-reaching downstream consequences for infectious disease spread. Although "social distancing" is now an all too familiar strategy for managing COVID-19, nonhuman animals also exhibit pathogen-induced changes in social interactions. Here, we synthesize the effects of infectious pathogens on social interactions in animals (including humans), review what is known about underlying mechanisms, and consider implications for evolution and epidemiology.