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Description
Title: | Investigating the epidemiology of Terrapene herpesvirus 1 in freeranging eastern box turtle populations |
Author(s): | Kane, Lauren P |
Advisor(s): | Allender, Matthew C. |
Department / Program: | Comparative Biosciences |
Discipline: | VMS - Comparative Biosciences |
Degree Granting Institution: | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Degree: | M.S. |
Genre: | Thesis |
Subject(s): | Epidemiology
herpesvirus Eastern box turtle qPCR Terrapene carolina disease |
Abstract: | Herpesviruses are ubiquitous, well described pathogens in captive chelonians worldwide, but their importance on free-ranging populations are less defined. In this thesis, a quantitative PCR was developed that detected a 58 base pair segment of the DNA polymerase gene segment of Terrapene herpesvirus 1 (Order: Herpesvirales; Family: Herpesviridae; Subfamily: Alphaherpesvirinae; Genus: Scutavirus). This assay was used to estimate prevalence of herpesvirus infection in 409 free-ranging eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) from Tennessee and Illinois. The overall prevalence in this study population was 31.3% (95% confidence interval: 27-36%), with a significantly higher prevalence in July (52.3%; 95% CI: 41-59%) compared to May (13.3%; 95% CI: 5-15%) and September (34.4%; 95% CI: 29-47%). Clinical signs recorded in box turtles were not significantly associated with herpesvirus infection and may be attributed to a latency period. The work presented in this thesis aids in characterizing the epidemiology of herpesvirus in chelonians. |
Issue Date: | 2016-03-18 |
Type: | Text |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90487 |
Rights Information: | Copyright 2016 LAUREN P. KANE |
Date Available in IDEALS: | 2016-07-07 |
Date Deposited: | 2016-05 |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois