Host resource supplies influence the dynamics and outcome of infectious disease

Pathogens and their host organisms share a wide range of resourceneeds that are required to support normal metabolism and growth.Because the development of infectious disease on or within thehost involves the processes of invasion and resource consumption,competition for growth-limiting resources potentially may occurbetween pathogens and cellular or sub-cellular components ofthe host ecosystem. Examples from the plant, animal, and microbiologicalliterature provide unambiguous evidence that external resourcesupplies to the host organism can have profound effects on theoutcome of infection by a broad diversity of bacterial, fungal,metazoan, protozoan, and viral pathogens.