Biodiversity inhibits parasites: Broad evidence for the dilution effect

Infectious diseases of humans, wildlife, and domesticated species are increasing worldwide, driving the need to understand the mechanisms that shape outbreaks. Simultaneously, human activities are drastically reducing biodiversity. These concurrent patterns have prompted repeated suggestions that biodiversity and disease are linked. For example, the dilution effect hypothesis posits that these patterns are causally related; diverse host communities inhibit the spread of parasites via several mechanisms, such as by regulating populations of susceptible hosts or interfering with parasite transmission. However, the generality of the dilution effect hypothesis remains controversial, especially for zoonotic…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: R01GM109499, 1241889, EF-1241889, CAREER, 1144244
• UE
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Awards: CAREER 83518801, 83518801
• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Awards: NRI 2006-01370, 2006-01370, R01GM109499, 2009-35102-0543, EF-1241889
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: R01GM109499, EF-1241889, F32AI112255