Pathogenetic consequences of cytomegalovirus-host co-evolution

Co-evolution has been shown to result in an adaptive reciprocal modification in the respective behaviors of interacting populations over time.In the case of host-parasite co-evolution,the adaptive behavior is most evident from the reciprocal change in fitness of host and parasite-manifested in terms of pathogen survival versus host resistance.Cytomegaloviruses and their hosts represent a pairing of populations that has co-evolved over hundreds of years.This review explores the pathogenetic consequences emerging from the behavioral changes caused by co-evolutionary forces on the virus and its host.