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:Examples: A Cell can be host to a Virus , a Legume plant can be host to helpful Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria , an Animal can be host to a parasitic Worm , e.g. a Nematode . A ''primary host'' or ''definitive host'' is a host in which the parasite grows mature; a ''secondary host'' or ''intermediate host'' is a host that harbors the parasite only for a short transition period. For Trypanosome s, the cause of Sleeping Sickness , Human s are the primary host, while the Tsetse Fly is the secondary host. The host range or '''host specificity''' of a parasite is the collection of hosts that an organism can utilize as a partner. In the case of human parasites, the host range influences the epidemiology of the parasitism or disease. For instance, the production of Antigenic Shift s in Influenza A Virus can result from pigs being infected with the virus from several different hosts (such as human and bird). This co-infection provides an opportunity for mixing of the viral genes between existing strains, thereby producing a new viral strain. An Influenza Vaccine produced against an existing Viral Strain might not be effective against this new strain, which then requires a new influenza vaccine to be prepared for the protection of the human population. There are also reservoir hosts. These are vertebrates that host an infection while it isn't infecting humans and is used by the disease as a source of maintanence. a single reservoir host maybe be reinfected several times. SEE ALSO REFERENCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004). The Influenza (Flu) Viruses:Transmission of Influenza Viruses from Animals to People . Retrieved 2005-02-26. |
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