Date of Award
Summer 8-5-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Biology
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Robert Wiggers
Second Advisor
Dr. Zeljko Radulović
Third Advisor
Dr. Dennis Gravatt
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Jason Bruck
Abstract
The number of cases of tick-borne diseases is increasing in the United States. Many efforts to control ticks have been made and are continuously being developed. These methods include surveillance of ticks and detection of the tick-borne pathogens.This study examined hard ticks in Nacogdoches, Texas, to test for the presence of Rickettsia sp. 47 ticks were collected from vegetation by flagging and their species, sex, and developmental stage were determined using available keys. Individual ticks were processed for nucleic acid extraction and molecular detection of Rickettsia sp. using PCR-based methods. The citrate cynthease gene, 17kDa gene, and outer membrane protein A gene were used as genetic markers. All 47 ticks were tested with these markers and out of 13 Amblyomma americanum ticks 4 were positive, 9 Dermacentor variabillis ticks 1 was positive, 6 Amblyomma maculatum ticks 4 were positive, and out of 19 Ixodes scapularis ticks 12 were positive.
Repository Citation
Standifird, Haley Nicole, "Molecular Detection and Characterization of Rickettsia sp. in Hard Ticks Collected in Nacogdoches, Texas" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 505.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/505
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
