A recent study conducted by researchers from the Royal Holloway University of London has revealed that certain infectious diseases affect men more severely than women. Diseases such as tuberculosis, HPV infections, and glandular fever have been found to have more severe consequences for men, and the reasons behind this have long been a mystery. However, the researchers have discovered that the viruses and bacteria responsible for these diseases may have an evolutionary strategy that targets men more severely. The study, published in the journal Nature, used statistical methods to calculate the advantages that disease-causing pathogens have when they affect women less severely.
The researchers found that viruses and bacteria are more successful when they strike a balance between being too weak to overcome a healthy immune system and being too strong and causing immediate death. Many pathogens hide in the body initially, with some bacteria forming a protective layer that makes it difficult for the immune system to recognize them. The researchers found that many viruses and bacteria benefit from infecting women because they can be transmitted to unborn children or through breast milk. If these pathogens affected women as severely as men, they would lose this transmission route. The researchers call this the “vertical transfer” of viruses and bacteria, which refers to the transmission from one generation to the next.
The researchers used an epidemiological model to test their theory, using data from the HTLV-1 virus, which can cause a form of leukemia called adult T-cell leukemia. The researchers found that the Japanese variant of the virus, which can be transmitted vertically, caused more deaths in men than women. The researchers suggest that gender-specific treatments could be more effective in combating diseases that can be transmitted vertically. This study sheds light on the evolutionary strategies of viruses and bacteria and could lead to more effective treatments for infectious diseases.
