Faculty of Science

Objectives

Parasites have evolved independently in numerous animal lineages, and they make up a considerable proportion of biodiversity of Life. Parasites have become a powerful model system for the study of ecology and evolution, with practical applications in disease prevention. This course will provide an evolutionary ecologist’s view of the biology of parasite.

Contents

Host parasite interactions, importance of parasite on host population ecology. Traits and life-history strategies that enable them to colonize hosts. Understanding various aspects of parasite ecology. Environmental factors driving these changes in the ecology of hosts and parasites and their importance in designing effective control strategies. Patterns and mechanisms that lead to parasite establishment and persistence in free living animal populations and communities, parasite-host specificity (who infects who and where) and transmission (host-to-host interactions and parasite life cycles).