High virulence does not necessarily impede viral adaptation to a new host: a case study using a plant RNA virus.

Abstract excerpt

BACKGROUND: Theory suggests that high virulence could hinder between-host transmission of microparasites, and that virulence therefore will evolve to lower levels. Alternatively, highly virulent microparasites could also curtail host development, thereby limiting both the host resources available to them and their own within-host effective population size. In this case, high virulence might restrain the mutation...

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