Genetic typing of pathogenic agents and of vectors has
known impressive developments in the last 10 years, thanks to the
progresses of molecular biology, and to the contribution of the
concepts of evolutionary genetics. Moreover, we know more and
more on the genetic susceptibility of man to infectious diseases.
I propose here to settle a new, synthetic field of research,
which I call `integrated genetic epidemiology of infectious
diseases' (IGEID). I aim at evaluating, by an evolutionary
genetic approach, the respective impact, on the transmission and
pathogenicity of infectious diseases, of the host's, the
pathogen's and the vector's genetic diversity, and their possible
interactions (co-evolution phenomena). Chagas' disease
constitutes a fine model to develop the IGEID methodology, by
both field and experimental studies.
