dc.contributor.author	Holley, Amber
dc.coverage.spatial	Lowndes County (Ga.)	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2022-2023	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-29T19:12:08Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-29T19:12:08Z
dc.date.issued	2023-08-23
dc.identifier.other	36567343-75bf-4277-8c7b-5c937b3541d2	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7167
dc.description.abstract	Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent of canine heartworm disease, and West Nile virus (WNV) are both mosquito-borne pathogens. Mosquito surveillance and vector determination are crucial in understanding the transmission of these pathogens which helps implement methods of control to prevent and predict outbreaks. In this study I assessed the ability of the Anopheles quadrimaculatus complex to transmit D. immitis and investigated the influence climate and land use and land changes (LULC) have on WNV transmission in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, the primary vector in the Southeastern United States. Standard PCR and an L3-specific RT-PCR protocol were used to assess D. immitis infection rates in An. quadrimaculatus mosquito samples. To determine the influence of climate and LULC on WNV from 2012-2021, data were collected from Weather Underground and the VSU WNV Mosquito Surveillance lab. Results from this study suggest that the An. quadrimaculatus complex is a potential vector of D. immitis and that urbanization and temperature influence WNV transmission by mosquitoes in Lowndes Co., GA.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Introduction 1 -- Canine Heartworm 1 -- West Nile Virus -- L3 Specific RT-PCR and Standard PCR Analysis of D. immitis presence in the Anopheles -- quadrimaculatus Mosquito Complex 6 -- Literature Review 6 -- Methods -- Specimen Collection 9 -- RNA Extraction and Conversion to cDNA 10 -- DNA Extraction 11 -- RT-PCR Analysis and Gel Electrophoresis 12 -- PCR Analysis and Gel Electrophoresis 13 -- Statistical Analysis 14 -- Results 14 -- Standard PCR and Gel Electrophoresis 14 -- L3 Specific RT-PCR 14 -- Discussion 14 -- Analysis of Temperature and Habitat on West Nile Virus Infection of Bridge Vectors 16 -- Literature Review 16 -- Methods 18 -- Specimen Collection and Processing 18 -- WNV Detection 19 -- Trap Index Calculation 20 -- Climate and LULC Data Collection 20 -- Results 20 -- Discussion 21 -- Conclusion 24 -- References 25.	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic record. PDF/A document, 61 pages, 1881614 bytes	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Academic theses	en_US
dc.subject	Biology	en_US
dc.subject	Entomology	en_US
dc.subject	Lowndes County (Ga.)	en_US
dc.subject	Dirofilaria immitis	en_US
dc.subject	West Nile virus	en_US
dc.title	Disease Surveillance of Dirofilaria immitis and West Nile Virus in Mosquitoes in Lowndes County, Georgia	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Biology of the College of Science and Mathematics	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Blackmore, Mark
dc.description.committee	Lockhart, Jack
dc.description.committee	Grabarczyk, Erin
dc.description.committee	Chambers, Eric
dc.description.degree	M.S.	en_US
dc.description.major	Biology	en_US