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bio_med_guy t1_isd6qk5 wrote

Reply to comment by wattnurt in Has an animal species ever gone extinct from a naturally occurring disease? by Jan_Sobasedski

Well actually if a bacteria or a virus wiped out the host, being a single species, wouldn't be considered so successful as it won't have a host anymore to reproduce

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wattnurt t1_isd79ha wrote

Most bacteria and viruses have multiple hosts. Wiping out a single one won't affect its viability.

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pressurecan t1_isvpqk1 wrote

Especially because the relationship between “multiple” hosts can be predator and pray, and if one becomes sick, or weaker, while the other is completely fine, it might be advantageous to kill off one of the hosts so that it can live in the stronger one.

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