Human impact on the diversity and virulence of the ubiquitous zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Significance A majority of emerging infectious diseases in humans are transmitted from animals. It is generally agreed that our behavior can influence our exposure to such pathogens, but little is known regarding our role in shaping evolution in such pathogens. Such understanding would aid in their control, to the benefit of public health. Our results indicate that expansion of agriculture influenced not only the biogeography but also the virulence of Toxoplasma gondii . By linking landscape ecology to parasite virulence, our framework contributes a fundamentally unique perspective on the ecology and evolution of infectious disease.