Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Immunogenicity And Protection After Vaccination With A Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara-Vectored Yellow Fever Vaccine In The Hamster Model, Justin G. Julander, Marco Testori, Cédric Cheminay, Ariane Volkmann

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The highly efficacious live-attenuated 17D yellow fever (YF) vaccine is occasionally associated with rare life-threatening adverse events. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), a non-replicating poxvirus, has been used as a vaccine platform to safely deliver various antigens. A MVA-based YF vaccine (MVA-BN-YF) was tested with and without a non-mineral oil adjuvant in a hamster model of lethal YF disease and protective efficacy of this vaccine was compared with the 17D vaccine. The vaccine candidate MVA-BN-YF generated a protective response in hamsters infected with YFV that was comparable to protection by the live 17D vaccine. Similar levels of neutralizing antibody were …

Transcriptomic Response To Immune Challenge In Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata) Using Rna-Seq, Cassandra Scalf

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the convergence of rapid technological advances in genomics and the maturing field of ecoimmunology, our understanding of the genes that regulate immunity in wild populations is still nascent. Previous work to assess immune function has relied upon relatively crude measures of immunocompetence. However, with next-generation RNA-sequencing, it is now possible to create a profile of gene expression in response to an immune challenge. In this study, captive zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata; adult males) were challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (2 mg/Kg BW; dissolved in 0.9% saline) or vehicle (0.9% saline) to stimulate the immune system. Two hours after injection, birds …

In Vitro Assay Development As An Alternative To The Use Of Laboratory Animals For Measuring Clostridium Perfingens Type C Toxoid, Lauren M. Wilmes

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridium perfringens type C produces beta toxin, which is a primary virulence determinate that can cause necrotic enteritis in neonatal animals. Vaccines directed against C. perfringens toxins have shown to be efficacious in preventing disease. However, the production of a commercial vaccine requires not only an efficacious antigen, but also testing methods for quantifying antigens and potency on final product. This research was undertaken to fulfill a need for the reduction in small animal usage to produce and deliver vaccines. The current testing methods are performed in vivo according to the Code of Federal Regulations number 9 (9CFR) United …

Reducing The Risk Of Invasive Pathogens To Wildlife Health In The United States, Edward E. Clark Jr., Marshall Meyers, David Eldon Starling, Brent Stewart, Nathan Stone, Gary Tabor, Jeffrey S. White

National Invasive Species Council

Call to Action

In keeping with action items 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 of the 2016–2018 National Invasive Species Council (NISC) Management Plan, the Wildlife Health Task Team of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) was charged with: 1) identifying the major areas of vulnerability to native wildlife from the introduction and spread of invasive pathogens, and 2) making recommendations to address these vulnerabilities, including through potential changes in statute, regulation, policy, or practice of the relevant agencies.

A Pcr/Sequencing Technique To Identify Species And Genotypes Of Haemonchus From Mixed Trichostrongyle Egg Dna Recovered From Livestock Fecal Samples, Pratiksha Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Six primer pairs, each with a pair of genus-specific and universal second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) primers were evaluated to amplify and sequence the ITS2 region of nuclear ribosomal DNA to identify the species and genotypes of Haemonchus from livestock fecal samples containing mixtures of trichostrongyle nematode eggs. Based upon the use of universal ITS2 primers on Haemonchus adults, the ITS2 region has been shown to contain three fixed single-nucleotide differences between H. placei and H. contortus. It is clinically useful to identify the species and genotypes of Haemonchus infecting livestock, but it has not been possible in fecal …

Effects Of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed And Bromocriptine On Endocrine And Immune Function In Horses, Jessica Marie Hanneman

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Consumption of endophyte-infected (E+) grasses has long been associated with health problems in animals. In cattle E+ tall fescue consumption leads to fescue toxicosis, and in horses it leads reproductive problems. The health-related issues associated with endophyte consumption have been attributed to the effects caused by the ergot alkaloids produced by the fungus. These ergot alkaloids are considered D2-like receptor agonists, and 5-HT2 serotonin and α-adrenergic receptor partial agonists. Many studies in humans, swine, cattle, and horses have identified that ergopeptines cause a decrease in prolactin production due to their dopaminergic activities. Additionally, these molecules have been found to cause …

Diversity And Phylogenetic Relationships Of European Species Of Crepidostomum Braun, 1900 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) Based On Rdna, With Special Reference To Crepidostomum Oschmarini Zhokhov & Pugacheva, 1998, Romualda Petkevičiūtė, Virmantas Stunžėnas, Alexander E. Zhokhov, Larisa G. Poddubnaya, Gražina Stanevičiūtė

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Background

Within the genus Crepidostomum Braun, 1900, identification of species and taxonomic decisions made only on the basis of adult morphology have resulted in great problems associated with evaluating actual diversity and validity of species. Life cycle data, while equal in importance to adult characters, are scarce, controversial or incomplete for most Crepidostomum spp. In this study, rDNA sequences generated from adult and larval Crepidostomum spp. and some other allocreadiid species were analyzed to reveal the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the species and their host range. Detailed morphological description based on light microscopy, SEM tegumental surface topography and genetic …

Towards Understanding The Role Of Small Mammals In The Transmission Of Lyme Disease In Virginia, Usa, Robert K. Rose, Laura Bitzer, Wayne Hynes, Holly D. Gaff, Robyn Nadolny, Jory Brinkerhoff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Larvae and nymphs of many species of ticks select small mammals, reptiles, and birds as hosts. Since 2011, we have examined more than 1,000 small mammals of 10 species and collected a small tissue sample as well as all visible ticks; rates of infestation range from 18% in harvest mice to 53% in meadow voles. Identification of immature ticks is challenging and requires molecular or genetic methods beyond classification as being from the genus Ixodes or another genus. Ixodes ticks include Ixodes scapularis, the species that transmits the Lyme disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi to humans. Of the approximately 2,300 ticks …

Do Avian Blood Parasites Influence Hypoxia Physiology In A High Elevation Environment?, Farah Ishtiaq, Sahas Barve

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Montane birds which engage in elevational movements have evolved to cope with fluctuations in environmental hypoxia, through changes in physiological parameters associated with blood oxygen-carrying capacity such as haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct). In particular, elevational migrants which winter at low elevations, encounter varying intensities of avian haemosporidian parasites as they traverse heterogeneous environments. Whilst high intensity parasite infections lead to anaemia, one can expect that the ability to cope with haemosporidian infections should be a key trait for elevational migrants that must be balanced against reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood in response to high elevation. In …

Gastrointestinal Parasites In Captive And Free-Ranging Cebus Albifrons In The Western Amazon, Ecuador, Sarah Martin-Solano, Gabriel A. Carrillo-Bilbao, William Ramirez, Maritza Celi-Erazo, Marie-Claude Huynen, Bruno Levecke, Washington Benitez-Ortiz, Bertrand Losson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Currently, there is a lack of surveys that report the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in the whiteheaded capuchin monkey (Cebus albifrons). We therefore assessed the presence and richness (= number of different parasite genera) of parasites in C. albifrons in wildlife refuges (n = 11) and in a free-ranging group near a human village (n = 15) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In the 78 samples collected (median of 3 samples per animal), we identified a total of 6 genera of gastrointestinal parasites, representing protozoa, nematodes, acanthocephalans and cestodes. We observed a high prevalence (84%) across the 26 individuals, with the …

Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, M. Andreína Pacheco, Nubia E. Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Patricia G. Parker, Beatriz Mello, Craig E. Stanley Jr., Miguel Lentino, Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei L. Kosakovsky Pond, Ananias A. Escalante

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that includes the agents of human malaria; however, most of the described species are found in birds and reptiles. Although our understanding of these parasites’ diversity has expanded by analyses of their mitochondrial genes, there is limited information on these genes’ evolutionary rates. Here, 114 mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) were studied from species belonging to four genera: Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Hepatocystis, and Plasmodium. Contrary to previous assertions, the mtDNA is phylogenetically informative. The inferred phylogeny showed that, like the genus Plasmodium, the Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus genera are not monophyletic groups. Although …

Influence Of An Internal Parasite Control On Cattle Grazing Behavior And Production, Jace Stott

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Six herds of 45 to 90 cow/calf pairs grazing on upland range were used to examine the efficacy of an injectable extended release eprinomectin parasite control on production traits, activity behavior, and efficacy against internal parasitism. In 2016, treatment cows were given a subcutaneous injection of LongRange^tm. In 2017, all cows in the study were treated with a short acting Synanthic^tm treatment and only treatment cows were given an additional LongRange^tm treatment. In both 2016 and 2017, fecal egg counts were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in eprinomectin treated cows compared to control cows. Calf gains were 4.8 kg and 8.7 kg greater (P < 0.1) for the calves of dams treated with eprinomectin compared to calves of control cows in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Activity characteristics of cattle were inconclusive, with treated cows having lower (P < 0.01) grazing and traveling times compared to control cows in 2016, and more (P < 0.01) grazing and traveling in 2017.

Differences in grazing behaviors based on time within pasture at different times …

Is Tb Testing Associated With Increased Blood Interferon-Gamma Levels?, Aideen E. Kennedy, Jim O'Mahony, Noel Byrne, John Macsharry, Riona G. Sayers

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The Republic of Ireland reports a relatively low prevalence of Johne’s disease (JD) compared to international counterparts. Postulated reasons for this include a lower average herd size and a grass-based production system. Ireland also engages in high levels of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing. As interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is believed to play a key role in protecting against JD, it is our hypothesis that administration of purified protein derivative (PPD), as part of the bTB test, is associated with a systemic increase in IFN-γ production, which may potentially limit clinical progression of the disease. We studied 265 cows (202 Friesian and 63 …

Extended-Spectrum Antiprotozoal Bumped Kinase Inhibitors: A Review, Wesley C. Van Voorhis, J. Stone Doggett, Marilyn Parsons, Matthew A. Hulverson, Ryan Choi, Samuel L. M. Arnold, Michael W. Riggs, Andrew Hemphill, Daniel K. Howe, Robert H. Mealey, Audrey O. T. Lau, Ethan A. Merritt, Dustin J. Maly, Erkang Fan, Kayode K. Ojo

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Many life-cycle processes in parasites are regulated by protein phosphorylation. Hence, disruption of essential protein kinase function has been explored for therapy of parasitic diseases. However, the difficulty of inhibiting parasite protein kinases to the exclusion of host orthologues poses a practical challenge. A possible path around this difficulty is the use of bumped kinase inhibitors for targeting calcium dependent protein kinases that contain atypically small gatekeeper residues and are crucial for pathogenic apicomplexan parasites’ survival and proliferation. In this review, we review efficacy against the kinase target, the parasite growth in vitro, and in animal infection models, as well …

Chronic Plasmodium Brasilianum Infections In Wild Peruvian Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Patricia G. Parker

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

There is an increased interest in potential zoonotic malarias. To date, Plasmodium malariae that infects humans remains indistinguishable from P. brasilianum, which is widespread among New World primates. Distributed throughout tropical Central and South America, the Callitrichidae are small arboreal primates in which detection of natural Plasmodium infection has been extremely rare. Most prior screening efforts have been limited to small samples, the use of low-probability detection methods, or both. Rarely have screening efforts implemented a longitudinal sampling design. Through an annual mark-recapture program of two sympatric callitrichids, the emperor (Saguinus imperator) and saddleback (S …

Checklist Of Helminths Of Bats From Mexico And Central America, F. Agustín Jiménez, Juan M. Caspeta-Mandujano, Said B. Ramírez-Chávez, Silvia E. Ramírez-Díaz, Marissa G. Juárez-Urbina, Jorge L. Peralta-Rodríguez, José A. Guerrero

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Based on original data obtained from fieldwork conducted from January 2008 to December 2015 and from previous records from published accounts, an updated checklist of helminth parasites of bats from Mexico and Central America is presented. The checklist has been organized in four ways, first as a helminth-host list in the state of Morelos, second as a helminth-host list with taxonomic and geographic distributional information, third as a bat-helminth list with references, and last, as a summary of the host-helminth association. A total of 105 records and 67 helminth taxa (26 trematodes, 4 cestodes, and 37 nematodes [33 adult and …

Ectoparasitic Mites Of The Genus Gigantolaelaps (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) Associated With Small Mammals Of The Genus Nephelomys (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae), Including Two New Species From Peru, Donald D. Gettinger, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

An extensive survey of small mammals and ectoparasites along an altitudinal transect in the Manu Biodiversity Reserve in Peru found the sigmodontine rodent genus Nephelomys infested by mites of the genus Gigantolaelaps Fonseca, 1939. Two distinct species co-occurred exclusively in the pelage of Nephelomys keaysi, G. inca Fonseca and G. minima n. sp. Nephelomys levipes, which replaces N. keaysi at higher elevations, was infested exclusively with a single new species, G. nebulosa n. sp. In this paper, we formally describe these new mite species, and provide more information on the morphology of G. inca.

Finding A Link Between Circadian Rhythms And The Immune System Of Captive Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata), Amber Bishop

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Circadian rhythms are commonplace in organisms and are normally controlled by a master clock. More recent evidence suggests that autonomous clocks operate in various systems in the body, including the immune system. This study looks for such a connection between the circadian rhythm and the immune system. In this study, captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were exposed to different light and dark cycles and blood samples were taken every six hours. Birds were exposed to 12 hours of light and then 12 hours of darkness (LD), 24 hours of darkness (DD), or 48 hours of DD. After collecting …

Ecological And Evolutionary Relationships Between Feather Mites And Parulid Warblers, Alix Elizabeth Matthews

Student Theses and Dissertations

Host-symbiont relationships are ubiquitous in nature, yet the evolutionary and ecological processes that have shaped these intricate associations are not well understood. Here, I explored the complex symbiosis between feather mites and their warbler hosts. I first considered how ecological context may influence feather mite abundance on two ecologically dissimilar warbler species, and how feather mite abundance may in turn influence the current reproduction and annual survival of hosts. Ecological context of hosts does play a role in feather mite abundance, and even though current reproduction may not be influenced by feather mite abundance, annual survival may be at a …

Glucans And The Poultry Immune System, Jacquie Jacob, Anthony J. Pescatore

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

With the reduced availability of antibiotics, poultry producers are looking for feed additives to stimulate the immune system of their birds. Some beta-glucans have been shown to improve gut health in poultry subjected to a bacterial challenge, to increase the flow of new immunocytes into the various lymphoid organs, to increase macrophage function, to increase antibody titers after a vaccination and to function as an anti-inflammatory immunomodulator. As a result, beta-glucans may provide a tool for producers trying to reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics in poultry diets.

Complex Interactive Effects Of Water Mold, Herbicide, And The Fungus Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis On Pacific Treefrog Hyliola Regilla Hosts, John M. Romansic, James E. Johnson, R. Steven Wagner, Rebecca H. Hill, Christopher A. Gaulke, Vance T. Vredenburg, Andrew R. Blaustein

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Infectious diseases pose a serious threat to global biodiversity. However, their ecological impacts are not independent of environmental conditions. For example, the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has contributed to population declines and extinctions in many amphibian species, interacts with several environmental factors to influence its hosts, but potential interactions with other pathogens and environmental contaminants are understudied. We examined the combined effects of Bd, a water mold (Achlya sp.), and the herbicide Roundup® Regular (hereafter, Roundup®) on larval Pacific treefrog Hyliola regilla hosts. We employed a 2 wk, fully factorial laboratory experiment with 3 …

A Blueprint To Evaluate One Health, Simon R. Rüegg, Barry J. Mcmahon, Barbara Häsler, Roberto Esposito, Helen O'Shea, Et Al

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

One Health (OH) positions health professionals as agents for change and provides a platform to manage determinants of health that are often not comprehensively captured in medicine or public health alone. However, due to the organization of societies and disciplines, and the sectoral allocation of resources, the development of transdisciplinary approaches requires effort and perseverance. Therefore, there is a need to provide evidence on the added value of OH for governments, researchers, funding bodies, and stakeholders. This paper outlines a conceptual framework of what OH approaches can encompass and the added values they can provide. The framework was developed during …

The Effects Of Camelina Sativa Meal On Haemonchus Contortus In Breeding Age Ewes, Nicole Julia Nichols

Student Theses and Dissertations

Gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) are one of the greatest threats to sheep production in the United States. Increased resistance to traditional anthelmintics has created the need for alternative methods to control GIP. The objective of this study was to determine if Camelina sativa (CS) meal could be fed as part of a daily ration to reduce infection rates of the GIP Haemonchus contortus during two 28-day trials. Forty-eight ewes were sorted and fed a 14% crude protein (CP) supplement with or without 10% CS as part of their daily ration. All ewes grazed a mixture of Bermuda (Cynodon dactylon) and tall …

Lymphocyte-Mediated Inflamm-Aging In The Horse, Melissa Hope Siard

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Senior horses (≥20 years) exhibit inflamm-aging, or chronic, low-grade inflammation that occurs systemically with aging, similarly to humans. Inflamm-aging has previously been characterized in the horse in circulation as well as specifically being mediated by lymphocytes and monocytes. In humans, inflamm-aging has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, in the horse, relatively little about inflamm-aging is known regarding clinical effects or factors influencing severity. The contribution of lymphocytes to inflamm-aging of senior horses was examined, specifically through determining the relationships of inflamm-aging with various other health parameters, effects of seasonality, and the extent to which inflamm-aging can be …

Pseudopecoelus Mccauleyi N. Sp. And Podocotyle Sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) From The Deep Waters Off Oregon And British Columbia With An Updated Key To The Species Of Pseudopecoelus Von Wicklen, 1946 And Checklist Of Parasites From Lycodes Cortezianus (Perciformes: Zoarcidae), Charles K. Blend, Norman O. Dronen, Gábor R. Rácz, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Pseudopecoelus mccauleyi n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Opecoelinae) is described from the intestine of the bigfin eelpout, Lycodes cortezianus (Gilbert, 1890) (Perciformes: Zoarcidae), collected at 200–800 m depths in the northeastern Pacific Ocean off Oregon and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The new species is distinguished by possessing a unique combination of the following diagnostic characters: vitelline fields that extend to the posterior margin of the ventral sucker; a slender, tubular and sinuous seminal vesicle that extends some distance into the hindbody; an unspecialized, protuberant ventral sucker; a genital pore at pharynx level; lobed to deeply multilobed testes; a lobed ovary; and an …

Why We Still Need To Worry About Bees, Meaghan Lee Callaghan

Capstones

American honey bees, and other native bee species, are still in decline, though the specter of colony collapse disorder may be fading behind us. Colony decline, the loss of bees overwinter experienced across the country at a quarter to third lost per hive (sometimes more), is now expected. Losses can include those from colony collapse disorder. The author discusses the different causes for colony decline and speaks to bee health scientists and local beekeepers. Read more at: http://www.meaghanleecallaghan.com/capstone/index.html

A Microbiomic Approach To The Characterization Of The Impacts And Influences Of Viral, Bacterial, And Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins On The Bottlenose Dolphin, Corey David Russo

Dissertations

As apex predators that display high site fidelity Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphin) are indicators of marine ecosystem health. Bottlenose dolphins, additionally, display pathogenesis and immune response similar to that of humans. Humans and coastal bottlenose dolphins, in particular, are constantly exposed to the same industrial, agricultural and domestic toxins and pathogens, contaminants and pollutants. Thus, studies on the bottlenose dolphin are also valuable in bridging the gap between ocean and human health. Bottlenose dolphins are susceptible to viral bacterial and toxin infection. Infection in the bottlenose dolphin manifests itself in the form of mass stranding events, unusual mortality events, chronic …

The Effects Of Dietary Probiotic Inclusion On Skeletal Health Of Poultry And Its Possible Mechanisms, Feifei Yan

Open Access Dissertations

Probiotics are live microorganisms which may confer health benefits on the host when administered in appropriate amounts. Numerous studies have shown that probiotics improve bone health in humans and rodents with less information available on the skeletal health of avians given probiotics. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of probiotic supplementation on bone health of egg-laying and meat-type chickens. Dietary supplementation of a multi-species based probiotic reduced the percentage of shell-less eggs beginning at 4 wk following treatment and increased tibial and femoral bone mineral density in egg-laying hens at 7 wk post-treatment. Similarly, bone mineralization …

Regulation Of Alpha-Herpesvirus Reactivation From Latency By Stress, Insun Kook

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) and Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) are crucial etiological viral agent of clinical diseases. HSV-1 and BHV-1 establish latent infection in sensory neurons. Periodically, reactivation from latency occurs resulting in virus excretion and transmission. Stress increases corticosteroid levels and the incidence of HSV-1 and BHV-1 reactivation from latency. The synthetic corticosteroid, dexamethasone (DEX) mimics stress and induces BHV-1 and HSV-1 reactivation. However, molecular mechanisms by which corticosteroid mediates viral reactivation are not well understood. My dissertation has focused on elucidating events that induce BHV- 1 or HSV-1 reactivation during the early stages of stress-induced escape …

Survey Of Nasal Mites (Acari: Rhinonyssidae, Ereynetidae, Turbinoptidae) In Birds From Three States In The United States, Alexis Danel Hilario Perez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Avian nasal mites are obligate endoparasites that spend their entire life in the respiratory system of birds. In North America, bird nasal mites are represented by different unrelated families in three different orders of mites: Rhinonyssidae (Mesostigmata), Ereynetidae (Prostigmata), and the Cytoditidae and Turbinoptidae (Astigmata). The most-diverse and most-abundant family of nasal mites is the Rhinonyssidae, in which mite species may have different levels of host specificity from host orders to families or even species level. Nasal mites in North America have been surveyed in different locations, such as studies ranging from the Gulf Coast of the US to Canada. …