DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Analysis of host adaptive genetic variation and its role in anthrax dynamics

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Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) is a highly infectious disease that threatens human health, agricultural production, and biodiversity. It occurs in episodic outbreaks in wild and domestic hoofed herbivores, and also in carnivores and humans. Genetic studies suggest anthrax originated in sub-Saharan Africa and then spread globally. Today, the number and severity of anthrax outbreaks in human, livestock, and wildlife populations have increased worldwide. Still, little is known about what drives the observed patterns of anthrax occurrence across populations and species. A host's ability to respond to bacterial infection depends on inherent genetic factors. Genetic diversity may be particularly important in functional genes, such as those involved in general immune response or specific to anthrax. The goal of this research is to investigate how variation in host genes is related to anthrax susceptibility within and across African wildlife species. The researchers will assess genetic data from a spectrum of resistant to susceptible host species in Etosha National Parka, Namibia, particularly the diversity in the Major Histocompatibility Complex and of an anthrax toxin receptor gene that plays a critical role in anthrax progression. The broader impacts of this research relate to the fact that managing anthrax is a global priority and the results of this work could greatly improve local control efforts in Namibia and other regions of the world. Further, the work will contribute to the development of a comprehensive predictive model of anthrax dynamics that can be used to evaluate management efforts related to vaccination, confinement, or culling of hosts, as well as build the research capacity of Namibian institutions.