Impacts Infection in Tick Cells.

The specific interactions of members of tick bacterial microbiota and their effects on pathogen transmission remains relatively unexplored. Here, we introduced a novel infection type into tick cells and examined the antipathogenic effects on the intracellular pathogen . An increase in replication was observed in -infected tick cells.

"Weight of evidence" as a tool for evaluating disease in wildlife: An example assessing parasitic infection in Northern bobwhite ().

The potential of parasites to affect host abundance has been a topic of heated contention within the scientific community for some time, with many maintaining that issues such as habitat loss are more important in regulating wildlife populations than diseases. This is in part due to the difficulty in detecting and quantifying the consequences of disease, such as parasitic infection, within wild systems. An example of this is found in the Northern bobwhite quail (), an iconic game bird that is one of the most extensively studied vertebrates on the planet.

Life-cycle of Oxyspirura petrowi (Spirurida: Thelaziidae), an eyeworm of the northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus).

Background: Oxyspirura petrowi (Spirurida: Thelaziidae), a heteroxenous nematode of birds across the USA, may play a role in the decline of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of West Texas. Previous molecular studies suggest that crickets, grasshoppers and cockroaches serve as potential intermediate hosts of O. petrowi, although a complete study on the life-cycle of this nematode has not been conducted thus far.

Identification of eyeworm () and caecal worm () infection levels in Northern bobwhite quail () of the Rolling Plains, TX using a mobile research laboratory: Implications for regional surveillance.

Over the last few decades, there has been a decline in Northern bobwhite quail () throughout their native range. While there are various factors that may be influencing this decline, it is suggested that parasites should be taken into consideration as a potential contributor in the Rolling Plains Ecoregion. High prevalence of the eyeworm () and caecal worm () in bobwhite of this region, coupled with a continuous decline, creates a need to assess infection through alternative methods for regional surveillance.