38th Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology

A pathogen's virulence is an important trait for anyone concerned with pathogens or the host populations they attack. It is also a trait often related to a pathogen's transmission success. The ability to predict or eventually manage the evolution of a pathogen's virulence is a highly desirable goal. Many theoretical models have been developed with this in mind. The aim of my talk will be to outline how these models are constructed, the trade-offs involved, and how predictions are made. Although much of the data required for such models is generated during studies of invertebrate pathology, I will highlight data that are not routinely collected but could be and that would improve the quality of model predictions. I will also indicate where the development of in theory is currently hampered for want of appropriate data and to which invertebrate pathologists could make a valuable contribution.