Parasitology Commons^™

The Role Of Southern Red-Backed Voles, Myodes Gapperi, And Peromyscus Mice In The Enzootic Maintenance Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes In North Dakota, Usa, Michael W. Dougherty, Nathan M. Russart, Robert A. Gaultney, Emily Marie Gisi, Haley M. Cooper, Lindsey R. Kallis, Catherine A. Brissette, Jefferson A. Vaughan

Biology Faculty Publications

Lyme disease has expanded into the Great Plains of the USA. To investigate local enzootic transmission, small mammals were trapped in two forested tracts in northeastern North Dakota during 2012 and 2013. Peromyscus mice and southern red-backed voles, Myodes gapperi, comprised over 90% of all mammals captured. One site was dominated by Peromyscus (79% of 100 mammals captured). At the other site, M. gapperi (59% of 107 mammals captured) was more abundant than Peromyscus (36%). Immature stages of two tick species parasitized small mammals: Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. Larval I. scapularis ectoparasitism was significantly higher on Peromyscus (81% …

Adaptative Survival Of Aspergillus Fumigatus To Echinocandins Arises From Cell Wall Remodeling Beyond Β−1,3-Glucan Synthesis Inhibition, Malitha C. Dickwella Widanage, Isha Gautam, Daipayan Sarkar, Frederic Mentink-Vigier, Josh V. Vermaas, Shi You Ding, Andrew S. Lipton, Thierry Fontaine, Jean Paul Latgé, Ping Wang, Tuo Wang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Antifungal echinocandins inhibit the biosynthesis of β−1,3-glucan, a major and essential polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall. However, the efficacy of echinocandins against the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is limited. Here, we use solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and other techniques to show that echinocandins induce dynamic changes in the assembly of mobile and rigid polymers within the A. fumigatus cell wall. The reduction of β−1,3-glucan induced by echinocandins is accompanied by a concurrent increase in levels of chitin, chitosan, and highly polymorphic α−1,3-glucans, whose physical association with chitin maintains cell wall integrity and modulates water permeability. The rearrangement of …

Morgs3 Functions In Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species Perception-Integrated Camp Signaling To Promote Appressorium Formation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Ruiming Zhang, Xinyu Liu, Jiayun Xu, Chen Chen, Zhaoxuan Tang, Chengtong Wu, Xinyue Li, Lei Su, Muxing Liu, Leiyun Yang, Gang Li, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins exhibit GTPase-accelerating protein activities to govern G-protein function. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, there is a family of at least eight RGS and RGS-like proteins (MoRgs1 to MoRgs8), each exhibiting distinct or shared functions in the growth, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity. MoRgs3 recently emerged as one of the crucial regulators that senses intracellular oxidation during appressorium formation. To explore this unique regulatory mechanism of MoRgs3, we identified the nucleoside diphosphate kinase MoNdk1 that interacts with MoRgs3. MoNdk1 phosphorylates MoRgs3 under induced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and MoRgs3 phosphorylation is required for …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Note that this version of the textbook has been superceded by the one updated in 2026, available at the UNL Pressbooks site.

The hard copy version that is for sale at lulu.com is the old version.

"This is a textbook covering concepts in animal parasitology. It is meant to be used by students, teachers, professors, researchers, and members of the public who are interested in learning about animal parasite biology, systematics, taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology. The primary intended audience is upper-level undergraduate or graduate university students who have knowledge of basic biology and, particularly, basic animal biology. (863 pages, …

Standard Rodent Diets Differentially Impact Alcohol Consumption, Preference, And Gut Microbiome Diversity, Aline Zaparte, Evan Dore, Selby White, Franciely Paliarin, Cameron Gabriel, Katherine Copenhaver, Samhita Basavanhalli, Emily Garcia, Rishith Vaddavalli, Meng Luo, Christopher M. Taylor, David Allen Welsh, Rajani Maiya

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex and widespread disease with limited pharmacotherapies. Preclinical animal models of AUD use a variety of voluntary alcohol consumption procedures to recapitulate different phases of AUD, including binge alcohol consumption and dependence. However, voluntary alcohol consumption in mice is widely variable, making it difficult to reproduce results across labs. Accumulating evidence indicates that different brands of commercially available rodent chow can profoundly influence alcohol intake. In this study, we investigated the effects of three commercially available and widely used rodent diet formulations on alcohol consumption and preference in C57BL/6 J mice using the 24 …

Serine Deamination By Human Serine Racemase Synergizes With Antibiotics To Curtail The Replication Of Chlamydia Trachomatis, Patricia D. Mott, Arnold H. Zea, Jamiya Lewis, Oygul Mirzalieva, Ashok A. Aiyar

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The obligate intracellular bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, has evolved to depend on its human host for many metabolites, including most amino acids and three of the four nucleotides. Given this, it is not surprising that depletion of a single amino acid in the host cell growth medium blocks chlamydial replication. Paradoxically, supra-normal levels of some amino acids also block productive replication of Chlamydia. Here, we have determined how elevated serine levels, generated by exogenous supplementation, impede chlamydial inclusion development and reduce the generation of infectious progeny. Our findings reveal that human serine racemase, which is broadly expressed in multiple tissues, potentiates …

One Year Follow Up Of A Cross-Sectional Study Of Hookworm Infection And Response To Deworming In Beposo, Ghana, Taylor Clarkson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Hookworms are soil-transmitted helminths that infect over 500 million people worldwide, primarily those in low-income countries. Infection with hookworm can cause anemia, malnutrition, and stunted physical and cognitive development. Deworming campaigns have attempted to combat hookworm infections in endemic areas for decades. However, there is growing variability in the effectiveness of deworming drugs, and post-treatment reinfections are abundant. There are significant gaps in our understanding of critical host-parasite factors that mediate hookworm infection, reinfection, and response to deworming treatment in endemic communities. A five-year prospective study was undertaken to better understand drivers of hookworm infection in rural Ghana and thus …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology: Master Bibliography, Sue Ann Gardner

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Master bibliography for the open educational resource/open access textbook Concepts in Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors, published by Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 2024. This includes the references from literature cited and suggested supplemental reading.

Gut Microbial Dysbiosis Differs In Two Distinct Cachectic Tumor-Bearing Models Consuming The Same Diet, Lauri O. Byerley, Brittany Lorenzen, Hsiao Man Chang, William G. Hartman, Michael J. Keenan, Ryan Page, Meng Luo, Scot E. Dowd, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The impact of cancer cachexia on the colonic microbiota is poorly characterized. This study assessed the effect of two cachectic-producing tumor types on the gut microbiota to determine if a similar dysbiosis could be found. In addition, it was determined if a diet containing an immunonutrient-rich food (walnuts) known to promote the growth of probiotic bacteria in the colon could alter the dysbiosis and slow cachexia. Male Fisher 344 rats were randomly assigned to a semi-purified diet with or without walnuts. Then, within each diet group, rats were further assigned randomly to a treatment group: tumor-bearing ad libitum fed (TB), …

Momkk1 And Moatg1 Dichotomously Regulating Autophagy And Pathogenicity Through Moatg9 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Yun Kong, Pusheng Guo, Jiayun Xu, Jiaxu Li, Miao Wu, Ziqi Zhang, Yifan Wang, Xinyu Liu, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy is a central biodegradation pathway critical in eliminating intracellular cargo to maintain cellular homeostasis and improve stress resistance. At the same time, the key component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade regulating cell wall integrity signaling MoMkk1 has an essential role in the autophagy of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Still, the mechanism of how MoMkk1 regulates autophagy is unclear. Interestingly, we found that MoMkk1 regulates the autophagy protein MoAtg9 through phosphorylation. MoAtg9 is a transmembrane protein subjected to phosphorylation by autophagy-related protein kinase MoAtg1. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that MoMkk1-dependent MoAtg9 phosphorylation is required for phospholipid …

Preliminary Investigation Of Differences In Host Mitochondria Membrane Potential During Toxoplasma Gondii Infection, Bryan L. Ortega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan with a broad host range of hosts, including various warm-blooded mammals, including humans. While infections can often be asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, they can pose significant risks to those who are immunocompromised, as well as pregnant women. Toxoplasmosis represents a significant burden on public health in the United States, with over 800,000 annual infections reported, often leading to severe complications such as symptomatic eye disease and congenital infections. Recent attention has developed regarding its potential association with human neuropathies such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and mood disorders. This project investigated differences in host …

Tailoring T Fh Profiles Enhances Antibody Persistence To A Clade C Hiv-1 Vaccine In Rhesus Macaques, Anil Verma, Chase E. Hawes, Sonny R. Elizaldi, Justin C. Smith, Dhivyaa Rajasundaram, Gabriel Kristian Pedersen, Xiaoying Shen, La Tonya D. Williams, Georgia D. Tomaras, Pamela A. Kozlowski, Rama R. Amara, Smita S. Iyer

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

CD4 T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are essential for establishing serological memory and have distinct helper attributes that impact both the quantity and quality of the antibody response. Insights into Tfh subsets that promote antibody persistence and functional capacity can critically inform vaccine design. Based on the Tfh profiles evoked by the live attenuated measles virus vaccine, renowned for its ability to establish durable humoral immunity, we investigated the potential of a Tfh1/17 recall response during the boost phase to enhance persistence of HIV-1 Envelope (Env) antibodies in rhesus macaques. Using a DNA-prime encoding gp160 antigen and Tfh polarizing cytokines …

Probiotic Limosilactobacillus Reuteri Dsm 17938 Changes Foxp3 Deficiency-Induced Dyslipidemia And Chronic Hepatitis In Mice, Erini Nessim Kostandy, Ji Ho Suh, Xiangjun Tian, Beanna Okeugo, Erin Rubin, Sara Shirai, Meng Luo, Christopher M. Taylor, Kang Ho Kim, J. Marc Rhoads, Yuying Liu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 produces anti-inflammatory effects in scurfy (SF) mice, a model characterized by immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, and X-linked inheritance (called IPEX syndrome in humans), caused by regulatory T cell (Treg) deficiency and is due to a Foxp3 gene mutation. Considering the pivotal role of lipids in autoimmune inflammatory processes, we investigated alterations in the relative abundance of lipid profiles in SF mice (± treatment with DSM 17938) compared to normal WT mice. We also examined the correlation between plasma lipids and gut microbiota and circulating inflammatory markers. We noted a significant upregulation of plasma lipids …

Microbial Interactions Among Gardnerella, Prevotella And Fannyhessea Prior To Incident Bacterial Vaginosis: Protocol For A Prospective, Observational Study, Christina A. Muzny, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Lúcia G.V. Sousa, Ângela Lima, Kristal J. Aaron, Isaac C. Eastlund, Keonte J. Graves, Chaoling Dong, Olivia T. Van Gerwen, Meng Luo, Ashutosh Tamhane, Dustin Long, Nuno Cerca, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction The aetiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a biofilm-associated vaginal infection, remains unknown. Epidemiologic data suggest that it is sexually transmitted. BV is characterised by loss of lactic acid-producing lactobacilli and an increase in facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria. Gardnerella spp are present in 95%–100% of cases; Gardnerella vaginalis has been found to be more virulent than other BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) in vitro. However, G. vaginalis is found in women with normal vaginal microbiota and colonisation is not sufficient for BV development. We hypothesise that Gardnerella spp initiate BV biofilm formation, but incident BV (iBV) requires incorporation of other key …

Autophagy And Cell Wall Integrity Pathways Coordinately Regulate The Development And Pathogenicity Through Moatg4 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Pusheng Guo, Yurong Wang, Jiayun Xu, Zhixiang Yang, Ziqi Zhang, Jinyi Qian, Jiexiong Hu, Ziyi Yin, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Xinyu Liu, Gang Li, Haifeng Zhang, Ryan Rumsey, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy and Cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling are critical stress-responsive processes during fungal infection of host plants. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, autophagy-related (ATG) proteins phosphorylate CWI kinases to regulate virulence; however, how autophagy interplays with CWI signaling to coordinate such regulation remains unknown. Here, we have identified the phosphorylation of ATG protein MoAtg4 as an important process in the coordination between autophagy and CWI in M. oryzae. The ATG kinase MoAtg1 phosphorylates MoAtg4 to inhibit the deconjugation and recycling of the key ATG protein MoAtg8. At the same time, MoMkk1, a core kinase of CWI, also phosphorylates …

Targeted Repression Of Topa By Crispri Reveals A Critical Function For Balanced Dna Topoisomerase I Activity In The Chlamydia Trachomatis Developmental Cycle, Li Shen, Leiqiong Gao, Abigail R. Swoboda, Scot P. Ouellette

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is responsible for the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Changes in DNA topology in this pathogen have been linked to its pathogenicity-associated developmental cycle. Here, evidence is provided that the balanced activity of DNA topoisomerases contributes to controlling Chlamydia developmental processes. Utilizing catalytically inactivated Cas12 (dCas12)-based clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) technology, we demonstrate targeted knockdown of chromosomal topA transcription in C. trachomatis without detected toxicity of dCas12. Repression of topA impaired the developmental cycle of C. trachomatis mostly through disruption of its differentiation from a replicative form …

Interplay Between Acetylation And Ubiquitination Of Imitation Switch Chromatin Remodeler Isw1 Confers Multidrug Resistance In Cryptococcus Neoformans, Yang Meng, Yue Ni, Zhuoran Li, Tianhang Jiang, Tianshu Sun, Yanjian Li, Xindi Gao, Hailong Li, Chenhao Suo, Chao Li, Sheng Yang, Tian Lan, Guojian Liao, Tongbao Liu, Ping Wang, Chen Ding

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Cryptococcus neoformans poses a threat to human health, but anticryptococcal therapy is hampered by the emergence of drug resistance, whose underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Herein, we discovered that Isw1, an imitation switch chromatin remodeling ATPase, functions as a master modulator of genes responsible for in vivo and in vitro multidrug resistance in C. neoformans. Cells with the disrupted ISW1 gene exhibited profound resistance to multiple antifungal drugs. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that Isw1 is both acetylated and ubiquitinated, suggesting that an interplay between these two modification events exists to govern Isw1 function. Mutagenesis studies of acetylation and ubiquitination sites …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 61: Transversotrematidae Witenberg, 1944 (Family): Ectoparasitic Trematodes [Platyhelminthes], Scott C. Cutmore, Thomas H. Cribb

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the family Transversotrematidae Witemberg, 1944, a small but biologically significant group of plagiorchiid digenean trematodes (flukes), including discussion of identification, general morphology, life cycles, host range, and the significance of their evolutionary position and biology.

Chapter 61 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott C. Cutmore and Thomas H. Cribb. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap061

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 62: Hirudinea (Subclass): Parasitic Leeches, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the parasitic leeches, subclass Hirudinea, including discussion of leeches as parasites, vectors, and hosts, their general morphology, reproduction, zoogeography, classification, phylogeny, medical uses, and preparation of specimens.

Chapter 62 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap062

High Prevalence Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Associated Risk To Humans In Central Illinois, Esther Onuselogu

Masters Theses

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a neglected tropical disease and a growing health threat in the United States. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often coexist with humans in urban and suburban areas and serve as reservoir hosts for T. cruzi. While T. cruzi is rare in humans and domestic animals in the U.S., it is common in wildlife species, particularly raccoons and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in the raccoon population of Central Illinois and evaluate the risk of transmission to humans. …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 39: Haplosplanchnata Olson Et Al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Hosts With Half The Guts [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Daniel C. Huston

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the suborder Haplosplanchnata Olson et al., 2003, a small, but distinct lineage within the Plagiorchiida. Includes a discussion of the methods of identification, general morphological characteristics, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 39 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Daniel C. Huston. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap039

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 47: Summary Of The Digenea (Subclass): Insights And Lessons From A Prominent Parasitologist [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea], Robin M. Overstreet

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the digenean trematodes (subclass Digenea) including insights and lessons from a prominent parasitologist, Robin M. Overstreet. Includes discussion of general morphology, biology, preparation methods, phylogeny, classification, life cycles, host-digenean relationships, effects on host behavior, hyperparasitism, ecology, digeneans as indicators, and literature on the digeneans.

Chapter 47 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Robin M. Overstreet. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap047

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 60: Monogenea Van Beneden, 1858 (Class) [Platyhelminthes], Griselda Pulido-Flores

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the class Monogenea van Beneden, 1858, mainly ectoparasites of the skin, fins, gills, and urinary bladder of fishes, amphibians, and some reptiles. Includes discussion of their classification (both historical and current), general morphology, life cycles, and taxonomy.

Chapter 60 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Griselda Pulido-Flores. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap060

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 64: Phthiraptera (Order): Lice [Arthropoda], Lajos Rózsa, Haylee J. Weaver

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of lice, order Phthiraptera, including discussion of their general morphology, feeding, host range, host distribution, life cycle, macroecology, transmission, effects on hosts and role as vectors, host defenses, conservation, evolutionary origins, phylogeny, lice nuclear genome, taxonomy, and medical implications including their control.

Chapter 64 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lajos Rózsa and Haylee J. Weaver. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap064

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 07: Biostatistics For Parasitologists: A Painless Introduction [Parascript Approaches], Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, Lajos Rózsa

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Covers biostatistics for parasitologists and includes discussion of taking samples, frequency distribution of host individuals across infection classes, sample size, prevalence, mean intesity, median intensity, stochasic equality of intensities, abundance, crowding, levels of aggregation, parasite sex ratio, parasite species richness, interactions between parasite species, and the tool Quantitative Parasitology on the Web (QPweb).

Chapter 7 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on biostatistics for parasitologists by Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, and Lajos Rózsa. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap007

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 58: Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808 (Phylum), Scott Monks

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the phylum Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808, also called the thorny-headed or spiny-headed worms, including discussion of their general morphology, life cycles, classification, and phylogenetic relationships.

Chapter 58 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott Monks. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap058

Rapid Point-Of-Care Testing For Detection Of Antibodies To Toxoplasma Gondii In Black Vultures And Ring-Billed Gulls From Pennsylvania, Alexa Rosypal Von Dohlen, Sydney Randall, Jordyan Grays, Mark A. Dugo, Brian J. Hunt, Justin Brown, Kyle Van Why, Sawsan Ammar, Richard Gerhold

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals, including birds. Scavenging birds are epidemiologically important hosts because they can serve as indicators of environmental T. gondii levels. A rapid point-of-care (POC) test that detects antibodies to T. gondii in humans is commercially available. In this research, we assessed the ability of the human POC test to detect anti–T. gondii antibodies in 106 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 23 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) from Pennsylvania, USA. Serum samples were tested with the POC test and compared to the modified …

Descriptive Report On Dietary Remains From Aztec And Salmon Ruins Coprolites, Karl J. Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

This report focuses only on dietary results from the Aztec Ruins and Salmon Ruins coprolites. The parasitological analysis was completed in 2018 and was the focus of several papers that were summarized by Camacho and Reinhard (2020). This did not include DNA analysis. The coprolites from these sites are not appropriate sources of DNA testing.

The main conclusion of the analysis are:

1) Two very distinct plant spectra are represented in Aztec Ruins West (ARW) room 219 and room 225.

2) The three contexts of ARW room 219 show interesting variation in food selection, however these are small samples.

3) …

Assessing The Value And Knowledge Gains From An Online Tick Identification And Tick-Borne Disease Management Course For The Southeastern United States, Catherine A. Lippi, Holly D. Gaff, Alexis L. White, Sadie J. Ryan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health threat in the United States. Despite the prevalence and rising burden of tick-borne diseases, there are major gaps in baseline knowledge and surveillance efforts for tick vectors, even among vector control districts and public health agencies. To address this issue, an online tick training course (OTTC) was developed through the Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECOEVBD) to provide a comprehensive knowledge base on ticks, tick-borne diseases, and their management.

Methods

The OTTC consisted of training modules covering topics including tick biology, tick identification, tick-borne diseases, and public health, personal tick …