Extreme Competence: Keystone Hosts of Infections

Abstract

A few members of host populations, so-called superspreaders, have disproportionate impacts on the risk of infectious disease emergence and spread.

Several other forms of EC exist; some of which might be exceptionally protective.

To discover and understand forms of EC, it is imperative to describe the distribution of, and covariation among, traits of individual hosts that mediate the many stages of host–parasite interactions.

Here, we provide a framework to do so, emphasizing how interplay among host traits related to parasite exposure behavior, susceptibility, replicability of parasites on/in hosts, and transmissibility, comprise host competence.

We hope this framework helps reveal new forms of EC and informs and improves management of disease risk.