Ask a Librarian

Threre are lots of ways to contact a librarian. Choose what works best for you.

HOURS TODAY

11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Reference Desk

CONTACT US BY PHONE

(802) 656-2022

Voice

(802) 503-1703

Text

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR EMAIL A QUESTION

Schedule an Appointment

Meet with a librarian or subject specialist for in-depth help.

Email a Librarian

Submit a question for reply by e-mail.

WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE RIGHT AWAY?

Library Hours for Friday, March 29th

All of the hours for today can be found below. We look forward to seeing you in the library.
HOURS TODAY
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
MAIN LIBRARY

SEE ALL LIBRARY HOURS
WITHIN HOWE LIBRARY

MapsM-Th by appointment, email govdocs@uvm.edu

Media Services8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Reference Desk11:00 am - 3:00 pm

OTHER DEPARTMENTS

Special Collections10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Dana Health Sciences Library7:30 am - 6:00 pm

 

CATQuest

Search the UVM Libraries' collections

UVM Theses and Dissertations

Browse by Department
Format:
Online
Author:
Neuhaus, Alyssa P.
Dept./Program:
Biology
Year:
2022
Degree:
M.S.
Abstract:
The emergence of infectious diseases has become an urgent concern for human and wildlife populations alike. Malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium), which are transmitted by mosquitoes, are major pathogenic disease agents in human and wildlife populations with numerous non-exclusive factors, including climate change and range shifts, acting to increase their threat. The malaria parasites that infect the Common Loon (Gavia immer) serve as an ideal system for studying emerging infectious disease threats with warming temperatures as the Common Loon is a northerly distributed, immunologically and evolutionary naïve species and of conservation concern across parts of its breeding range. I investigated the geographic and temporal distribution and diversity of Plasmodium parasites that infect Common Loons across the southern edge of their breeding range. In addition, I surveyed a diversity of mosquito species from the northeastern US to identify the vectors of the malaria parasites of birds including loons. Through broad collaboration samples were obtained from 461 Common Loons between 2014 and 2021 and from 2,867 ornithophilic mosquitoes of nine species. To detect Plasmodium parasites, Common Loons and mosquitoes were screened by nested PCR with each positive sample sequenced at the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to identify parasites to lineages representative of species. Overall, 34 (7.4%) of sampled Common Loons were found infected with ten different Plasmodium lineages, including one novel lineage that has not been previously isolated and numerous generalist lineages known to infect a broad range of avian host species. Plasmodium lineages were found to demonstrate slight longitudinal structure across sampling regions, perhaps due to varying parasite-mosquito associations, host genetics, and/or host density, or sampling efforts. Plasmodium lineage diversity and infection prevalence lacked latitudinal or temporal structure at all sites except New Hampshire and Maine, where Plasmodium diversity increased through time. I isolated 12 Plasmodium lineages from four ornithophilic mosquito species screened including Culex pipiens, Culex restuans, Culiseta melanura, and Culiseta morsitans. Three specialist lineages were isolated from Culex species, suggesting that mosquito habitat preferences may influence parasite specificity. Results from this study elucidate the host-vector-parasite dynamics underlying parasite spillover and shed light on the importance of continued surveillance for Plasmodium parasites in both vertebrate and vector hosts to minimize future disease risks.
Note:
Access to this item embargoed until 04/19/2024.