Publications

Many parasites complete their life cycle by first developing in an intermediate host, then reproducing in a definitive host, relying on predation of intermediate hosts by definitive hosts. Consequently, these parasites are embedded in food webs. The structure of these food webs creates a selective force; if definitive hosts are […]

The prevalence of a pathogen emerging in a population varies in a complex manner that is difficult to model and predict, due in part to randomness in the system. In a new paper in PLOS Computation Biology, we show that if the random component is relatively small, the underlying dynamics […]

Corresponding Author: Daniel Becker, daniel.becker3@montana.edu Why are some wildlife populations more or less susceptible or tolerant to infectious disease? Answering this question requires more broadly understanding how environmental variation shapes animal immune defense, but this is limited by the rarity of studies that apply a macroecological perspective to wildlife immunology and […]

Corresponding Author: Daniel Becker, daniel.becker3@montana.edu Conversion of natural habitats into urban landscapes can expose wildlife to new pathogens and alter transmission processes. Because pathogen transmission is generally difficult to quantify in wildlife, mathematical models paired with field data can help select among competing transmission mechanisms that might operate in urban […]

Corresponding author: Kevin D. Niedringhaus, kevindn@uga.edu Summary Author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Image Illustrator: Chloe Parker, chloe.parker@uga.edu   Trichomonosis is a disease that infects birds via the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae, and commonly affects birds in the order Columbiformes, such as doves or pigeons. The disease has many effects including inflammation, […]

Corresponding Author: Ania Majewska, Majewska@uga.edu Summary Author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Editor: Trippe Ross, ceid@uga.edu Monarch butterflies and many other pollinators have experienced population declines due to urbanization and land-use change.  In response, concerned individuals and groups in many urban environments have built green spaces such as gardens and parks, which […]

Corresponding Author: Amy J. Pickering, amy.pickering@tufts.edu Summary Author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a prevalent problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Helminths, parasitic intestinal worms, pass their eggs in the feces of infected individuals.  When infected individuals defecate outside, or their feces is used as fertilizer, soil can become […]

Corresponding authors: Christopher A. Cleveland, ccleve@uga.edu and Michael J Yabsley, myabsley@uga.edu Summary author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Since 2012 The Republic of Chad has reported an increase of Guinea worm infections in dogs, cats, and baboons. While humans become infected through drinking from a contaminated water source differing infection patterns in dogs […]

Corresponding Author: Vanessa Ezenwa, vezenwa@uga.edu Summary Author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Increased risk of infection is a tradeoff of social living. While the possibility of contracting a parasite is greater when living in a group, the negative effects of infection may be decreased. Living among others may create a tolerance to […]

Corresponding Author: Mauricio Seguel, mseguel@uga.edu Summary Author: Leah Crone, lec62627@uga.edu Hookworms are a dangerous helminth (parasitic worm). With their ability to create long lasting infections and feeding behavior that involves creating bleeding wounds in a host’s intestine, they are able to cause damage to humans and wild animals alike. However, […]