Spillover of Protozoal Pathogens into and out of an Invasive Bird Species
Conference Year
January 2023
Abstract
Pathogen spillover and subsequent emerging infectious disease threatens the health of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, yet their environmental precursors are not well studied in nature. It is likely that spillover is not homogenous across the landscape and that human land use change and habitat alteration are involved. Across time and distance, I investigate the malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) that have spilled into the introduced and invasive bird species, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). I document the prevalence and diversity of malaria parasites at the diversity of sites sampled, aiming to identify the possible habitat factors involved in pathogen spillover
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Ellen Martinsen
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Microbiology
Spillover of Protozoal Pathogens into and out of an Invasive Bird Species
Pathogen spillover and subsequent emerging infectious disease threatens the health of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, yet their environmental precursors are not well studied in nature. It is likely that spillover is not homogenous across the landscape and that human land use change and habitat alteration are involved. Across time and distance, I investigate the malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) that have spilled into the introduced and invasive bird species, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). I document the prevalence and diversity of malaria parasites at the diversity of sites sampled, aiming to identify the possible habitat factors involved in pathogen spillover