Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Applications Of Bayesian Hierarchical Detection Models, Emily Beasley

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Bayesian hierarchical detection models are useful for addressing uncertainty in datasets in the form of detection error and can be adapted to a variety of research questions. This dissertation uses three case studies to highlight advantages of Bayesian hierarchical detection models: 1) using prior information to model undetected species, 2) efficiently modeling a naturally hierarchical system, and 3) correcting for observation bias in two interconnected ecological metrics for effective disease management.Detection error can bias ecological observations, especially when a species is never detected during sampling. In many communities, the probable identity of these species is known from previous research, but …

Metarhizium Anisopliae, Metarhizium Brunneum And Beauveria Bassiana Formulations For Biological Control Of Larval Winter Ticks, Dermacentor Albipictus, Cheryl Sullivan

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

There is a critical need to develop effective, high-quality, fungal-based biopesticides for use against ticks. Dermacentor albipictus Petch (Acari: Ixodidae), the winter tick, is a one-host tick. They commonly infest large ungulates, particularly moose, Alces alces L. (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) on which they cause significant physiological and metabolic stress on densely parasitized individuals. Heavily infested calves can be killed. Entomopathogenic fungi in the genera Metarhizium (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and Beauveria (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) are promising tick biological control agents. The larval stage of D. albipictus aggregates on the ground in a prolonged, quiescent state during the summer and then quests for hosts in …

A Chemical Genetics Approach To Understand The Regulation Of Cryptosporidium Sexual Differentiation, Md Mahmudul Hasan

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Cryptosporidium species are eukaryotic intracellular parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. C. hominis and C. parvum cause diarrhea in humans which is self-limiting in immunocompetent adults but can have severe consequences in immunocompromised individuals and malnourished children. In developing countries, Cryptosporidium is one of the leading causes of moderate to severe diarrhea in children under five years of age. There is an urgent need for novel therapeutics against this parasite as the current treatment option is inadequate to treat the most vulnerable population to Cryptosporidium infection. Better understandings of the biology of Cryptosporidium would greatly enhance our capability to design …

Methods To Identify And Develop Drugs For Cryptosporidiosis, Rajiv Satish Jumani

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Cryptosporidiosis is a common diarrheal disease caused by intestinal infection with the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium, in humans usually either with C. hominis or C. parvum. Unfortunately, given a large burden of disease in children and immunocompromised people like AIDS patients, the only currently approved treatment, nitazoxanide, is unreliable for these patient populations. To address the urgent need for new drugs for the most vulnerable populations, large phenotypic screening efforts have been established to identify anti-Cryptosporidium growth inhibitors in vitro (hits). However, in the absence of a gold standard drug, the in vitro and in vivo characteristics that should be used …

Uncovering The Variable Life History Traits And Strategies Of The Gregarine Parasite, Monocystis Perplexa, In Its Invasive Earthworm Host, Amynthas Agrestis, Erin L. Keller

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Parasite life histories influence many aspects of infection dynamics, from the parasite infrapopulation diversity to the fitness of the parasite (the number of successfully transmitted parasites). Studies of medically important parasites, such as the parasite responsible for malaria (Plasmodium spp.), demonstrate the usefulness of investigating the life histories of parasites to better understand infection characteristics such as parasite load and probability of transmission.

The gregarines are a diverse group of apicomplexan parasites that infect invertebrates, and are particularly common in insects and annelids. Given the great biodiversity and importance of their hosts, coupled with their close evolutionary relationship with important …

Functional Consequences Of Ama1-Ron2 Interaction During Host Cell Invasion By Toxoplasma., Shruthi Krishnamurthy

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

T.gondii is a model organism of the phylum Apicomplexa that infects one third of the human population. While the majority of infections are asymptomatic or manifest with mild flu-like symptoms, toxoplasmosis can be fatal in immunocompromised individuals and in the developing fetus. The lytic cycle of tachyzoite-stage parasites causes damage to the host by repeated rounds of host cell invasion, intracellular replication and lysis of the host cell upon egress.

Invasion is a key step for the parasite to maintain its intracellular lifestyle. Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA1) is an adhesin released from a unique set of secretory organelles called …