Previous work has shown the importance of considering the evolution of resistance to pathogens in terms of competion between host strains. The strains differ in terms of their relative resistance to the pathogen, and trade-off this resistance in terms of other life-history traits. In a previous model I considered two strains, one resistant one susceptible, and determined the conditions underwhich coexistance and resistance in the host were favoured.
In this seminar I will discuss the results of a model in which this work is extended to a more realistic multi-strain formulation. Both linear and non-linear trade-offs between pathogen transmissibility and intrinsic reproductive rate will be considered.