Most newly emerging diseases result in
A) greater severity as there are more and more occurrences of the infection.
B) major pandemics, spreading the infection far and wide in the population.
C) the waning of the disease, due to evolutionary selection for resistant hosts and milder pathogens.
D) a destruction of the host's immune system and eventual cancer.
E) no discoverable relationship with other pathogens in the same or related species.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As new diseases emerge, there is typically an evolutionary arms race between the pathogen and host. This can result in the selection for hosts that are resistant to the pathogen, and for milder strains of the pathogen that are less virulent. As a result, the disease may wane over time, rather than becoming more severe or leading to major pandemics.

Most Newly Emerging Diseases Result in