Host (biology)
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In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a virus, parasite, mutual partner, or commensal partner, typically providing nourishment and shelter.
- Examples: A cell can be host to a virus, a legume plant can be host to helpful nitrogen-fixing bacteria, an animal can be host to a parasitic worm, e.g. a nematode.
The host range or host specificity of a parasite is the collection of hosts that an organism can utilize as a partner. In the case of human parasites, the host range influences the epidemiology of the parasitism or disease. For instance, the production of antigenic shifts in Influenza A virus can result from pigs being infected with the virus from several different hosts (such as human and bird). This co-infection provides an opportunity for mixing of the viral genes between existing strains, thereby producing a new viral strain. An influenza vaccine produced against an existing viral strain might not be effective against this new strain, which then requires a new influenza vaccine to be prepared for the protection of the human population1.
There are also reservoir hosts. These are vertebrates that host an infection while it isn't infecting humans and is used by the disease as a source of maintenance. A single reservoir host may be reinfected several times.
See also
References
Note 1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004). [The Influenza (Flu) Viruses:Transmission of Influenza Viruses from Animals to People]. Retrieved 2005-02-26.
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