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Dissecting the Transmission Biology of Vector-Borne Diseases Faculty Cluster Hire Initiative: Environmental Health Cluster 11.12.14 Derrick Mathias, PhD, MPH Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology College of Agriculture Auburn University Components of Vector-Borne Disease Systems Vector Host - Immune response - Exposure • behavior • vector attraction - Nutritional status TransmissionCycle Variables - Competency - Feeding behavior - Oviposition behavior - Biology of immature stages Ecological Factors Nidus of pathogen transmission - Host number - Reservoirs - Bridge vectors - Vertical transmission Reisen 2010, Annu Rev Entomol 55:461-83 Pathogen - Virulence - Mutation rate - Incubation period - Immune avoidance - Seasonal/spatial variation in temperature, rainfall, etc. - Land cover, vegetation - Landscape modification - Climate change Research Interests Transmission Biology of malaria and arboviral diseases (bluetongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease): Fertilization MG invasion Exflagellation I. Vector Competence − mechanisms of pathogen invasion • ligand variation on vector tissues II. Vector-Pathogen Coevolution – population genetics/genomics of vector & pathogen – virus adaptation to the vector(s) Roy et al. 2009 Sporogony Schmidtmann, USDA-ARS Bethan et al. 2009 Transmission III. Vector Ecology – feeding behavior & host attraction (olfactory cues) – oviposition behavior Zieler et al., 2000 J Exp Biol 203:1599-1611 – larval ecology – vector habitat characterization Recent HD Mortality in wild ruminants 2007 2012 Data compiled by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, UGA Potential Areas for Collaboration – Modeling of disease risk – Objective: To improve understanding of transmission cycles and conditions that lead to outbreaks. – Variables: • vector (density, diversity) • pathogen (serotype, genetic variation) • climate • water quantity/quality • other abiotic factors • land cover/use – Potential Funding: NSF Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Diseases program
