Which of the following statements correctly describes the most probable fate of a newly emerging virus that causes high mortality in its host?
A)It is able to spread to a large number of new hosts quickly because the new hosts have no immunological memory of them.
B)The new virus replicates quickly and undergoes rapid adaptation to a series of divergent hosts.
C)Sporadic outbreaks will be followed almost immediately by a widespread pandemic.
D)The newly emerging virus will die out rather quickly or will mutate to be far less lethal.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Highly lethal viruses may initially cause sporadic outbreaks, but they are typically not as successful at spreading because they kill their host too quickly to allow for transmission to new hosts. Additionally, natural selection favors viruses that do not kill their host too quickly as it limits their opportunities for transmission. Therefore, the most probable fate of a newly emerging virus that causes high mortality in its host is that it will either die out relatively quickly or mutate to be less lethal in order to improve its chances of transmission.

Which of the Following Statements Correctly Describes the Most Probable