Meriones shawi (M.shawi) is the main reservoir host for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Central Tunisia. The incorporation of environmental and climatic effects on spread ZCL M. remains difficult. This study presents an agent-based model (ABM) to overcome these difficulties examine impact environment (i.e. vegetation cover) climate temperature) movement prevalence. simulation consider...

Background: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) due to Leishmania major is increasing in many parts of Iran. This disease originally is a disease found in gerbils. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sandflies that live and breed in gerbil burrows. Nested PCR amplified Leishmania ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene in both main reservoir host “Rhombomys opimus” and in the “Phlebotomus papatasi” main vec...

Hantaviruses, similar to several emerging zoonotic viruses, persistently infect their natural reservoir hosts, without causing overt signs of disease. Spillover to incidental human hosts results in morbidity and mortality mediated by excessive proinflammatory and cellular immune responses. The mechanisms mediating the persistence of hantaviruses and the absence of clinical symptoms in rodent re...

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Leptospira interrogans which include all pathogenic strains of the Genus Leptospira. The serological classification of the members of Leptospira interrogans distinguishes more than 200 serovars which have traditionally been grouped into serogroups according to their antigenic relation [16]. After natural infection with Leptospira, the spectrum of ...

Pathogens often have a limited host range, but some can opportunistically jump to new species. Anthropogenic activities that mix reservoir species with novel, hence susceptible, species can provide opportunities for pathogens to spread beyond their normal host range. Furthermore, rapid evolution can produce new pathogens by mechanisms such as genetic recombination. Zoos unintentionally provide ...

Mixed infections have important consequences for the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions. In vector-borne diseases, interactions between pathogens occur in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Spirochete bacteria belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies complex are transmitted by Ixodes ticks and cause Lyme borreliosis in humans. In Europe, ther...

Title of Thesis: ADAPTATION OF A/MALLARD/POTSDAM/178-4/83 (H2N2) IN JAPANESE QUAIL LEADS TO REPLICATION AND TRANSMISSION IN CHICKENS Erin Maureen Sorrell, Master of Science, 2005 Thesis Directed By: Assistant Professor Daniel R. Perez Department of Veterinary Medicine VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and The University of Maryland, College Park Influenza is a single stranded, negat...

BACKGROUND The relationships between heterogeneities in host infection and infectiousness (transmission to arthropod vectors) can provide important insights for disease management. Here, we quantify heterogeneities in Leishmania infantum parasite numbers in reservoir and non-reservoir host populations, and relate this to their infectiousness during natural infection. Tissue parasite number was ...