27th Annual Student Research Conference
Modeling Biotic and Abiotic Factors Effecting Larval Dermacentor variabilis Burden on Peromyscus leucopus
Eli Jackson* and Hailey Cahill
Dr. Hyun-Joo Kim and Dr. Stephanie Fore, Faculty Mentors
Infectious disease dynamics can be determined by studying immature tick burden on rodents. The objective of this study is to develop a regression model and determine which variables are important in describing larval Dermacentor variabilis burden on Peromyscus leucopus. Mice were live-trapped on two permanent grids in a long term monitoring study. Previous studies from our lab have shown host related variables are important in describing immature D. variabilis burden. However, studies from several other tick-rodent systems have suggested that host burden is best described with the inclusion of meteorological factors as well. We have extended previous research examining the association between host related variables and larval D. variabilis, to include eight environmental variables. Using model selection criteria, a NB regression model including host mass, sex, and habitat, relative humidity, precipitation, photoperiod, and number of extreme high and low temperatures was selected as the best model in describing larval burden.
Keywords: MathBio, Dermacentor variabilis
Topic(s):Mathematical Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 204-2
Location: MG 1098
Time: 9:50