Veterinary Informatics and Epidemiology
Three species of nematode are being investigated. These are Ostertagia circumcincta, Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Nematodirus battus. The occurrence of the infective stages of these parasites on pasture is directly related to outbreaks of PGE in sheep. This project, in collaboration with Moredun RI in Edinburgh and MLURI in Aberdeen, aims to investigate the effects of the environment on the free-living stages of these nematodes. In particular, the variations in response to environmental stimuli between species and within species are investigated in an attempt to explain why outbreaks of PGE vary geographically and from year to year. In addition, the genetic variation within nematode populations is being explored, with particular emphasis on the effects of migration to and from a gene pool, and the overlapping and mixing of generations within a population.
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