Do Mosquitoes Feed On Individual Chickens Equally, and why is it Important?
Format
Oral Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Tara Thiemann
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract/Artist Statement
West Nile virus (WNV) is transmitted by mosquitoes and can infect a variety of host species, including many different birds and humans. When infection occurs, the host creates antibodies to fight the virus. This fact has been used to develop WNV surveillance techniques, one of the foremost being used in the Sentinel Chicken Program. In California, sentinel chicken coops are placed around the state and are blood sampled regularly to test for antibodies as an early warning system for WNV outbreaks. The current calculations used to determine the prevalence of WNV in a particular area depend on the assumption that individual chickens are fed upon equally by mosquitoes. However, for other host species, including humans, it is known that mosquitoes prefer certain individuals over others. The goal of the current project is to develop an assay to identify individual chickens in these sentinel coops using microsatellite markers. By determining the identity of chicken blood samples and matching them with mosquito blood meals taken around the chicken coop, potential mosquito preference for individual chickens can be observed. If mosquitoes show a high degree of preference, so chickens are not bitten equally and at random, then this work may be significant in determining the prevalence of WNV in a particular area.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
Start Date
30-4-2016 3:00 PM
End Date
30-4-2016 5:00 PM
Do Mosquitoes Feed On Individual Chickens Equally, and why is it Important?
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
West Nile virus (WNV) is transmitted by mosquitoes and can infect a variety of host species, including many different birds and humans. When infection occurs, the host creates antibodies to fight the virus. This fact has been used to develop WNV surveillance techniques, one of the foremost being used in the Sentinel Chicken Program. In California, sentinel chicken coops are placed around the state and are blood sampled regularly to test for antibodies as an early warning system for WNV outbreaks. The current calculations used to determine the prevalence of WNV in a particular area depend on the assumption that individual chickens are fed upon equally by mosquitoes. However, for other host species, including humans, it is known that mosquitoes prefer certain individuals over others. The goal of the current project is to develop an assay to identify individual chickens in these sentinel coops using microsatellite markers. By determining the identity of chicken blood samples and matching them with mosquito blood meals taken around the chicken coop, potential mosquito preference for individual chickens can be observed. If mosquitoes show a high degree of preference, so chickens are not bitten equally and at random, then this work may be significant in determining the prevalence of WNV in a particular area.