Dissertation Research: Host Movement and Disease Dynamics: Interactions between Monarch Butterflies and a Protozoan Parasite

9700916 Alstad在自然种群中，疾病传播可能受到生态、环境和遗传因素的影响。 许多动物群体都有季节性迁徙，这可能会强烈影响宿主-寄生虫的相互作用。 本研究探讨了帝王蝶，Danaus plexippus，和专性原生动物寄生虫，Ophryocystis elektroscirrha之间的相互作用。 三个种群的北美帝王蝶表现出不同程度的迁移行为，提供了一个独特的机会，研究如何在疾病流行的地理变异与主机的运动模式。 对于这些人群，疾病的发病率是负相关的主机迁移距离。 佛罗里达南部的一个非迁徙人群显示100%感染，西部迁徙人群60%感染，而旅行距离最远的东部迁徙人群感染率不到10%。本研究将探讨疾病流行的人口变化是如何受宿主运动行为，地点之间的环境差异，以及与宿主易感性或病原体毒力相关的遗传因素的影响。 这项研究将产生重要的数据，为保护君主，这已受到威胁，近年来在许多越冬地点的栖息地破坏。 它还将提高对寄生虫如何与宿主相互作用的理解。

9700916 Alstad In natural populations, disease spread is likely to be affected by ecological, environmental, and genetic factors. Many groups of animals have seasonal migrations, which may strongly affect host-parasite interactions. This research examines interactions between monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, and an obligate protozoan parasite, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha. Three populations of North American monarchs exhibit varying degrees of migratory behavior, providing a unique opportunity to examine how geographic variation in disease prevalence relates to host movement patterns. For these populations, disease incidence is inversely related to host migratory distance. A non-migratory population in southern Florida shows 100% infection, the western migratory population is 60% infected, and the eastern migratory population, which travels the farthest distance, is less than 10% infected. This study will examine how population variation in disease prevalence is affected by host movement behavior, environmental differences between sites, and genetic factors related to host susceptibility or pathogen virulence. This study will produce data important for the conservation of monarchs, which have been threatened in recent years by habitat destruction at many overwintering sites. It will also improve understanding of how parasites interact with their hosts.