Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: Current Knowledge and the Ecology of Transmission in Urban Settings
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Thursday, April 09, 2015 · 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: Current Knowledge and the Ecology of Transmission in Urban Settings
Recent work on the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of Alveolar Echinococcosis (AE) in humans, has shed light on the distribution, host partitioning, and its genetic characterization in North America. This parasite, which exists in several strains across the world, is likely expanding its range in the central region of North America and invasions of European strains in this area might have occurred. In large urban settings in central western Canada, where domestic dogs overlap with wild canid populations (e.g. fox, coyote) in city parks, the parasite is endemic and the risk of transmission to dogs, and on to humans, is unknown.
The presentation will introduce the key components of the parasite cycle as well as of the ecology of its host community using, as an example, the work conducted in Western Canada. There will be emphasis on the complexity of the systems that regulate the maintenance and transmission of trophically transmitted macro-parasites such as E. multilocularis, and how the complex balance of interactions among predators, prey and their environment shape the dynamics of this host-parasite system.
By describing the research program started in 2010 on the ecology of E. multilocularis in Calgary, the discussion will focus on host partitioning, the spatial and temporal patterns of infections in definitive and intermediate hosts, and the ecological processes that determine these patterns. During the presentation the methodologies and the key results of the program will be presented and discussed.
Presenter: | Alessandro Massolo, MSc., PhD. |
Date and Time: | April 9, 2015, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm |
CCP: | This course qualifies ASPB members to earn 1 Professional Development Hour. |
Cost: | Free |
Location: | Nexen Annex Theatre in the Nexen Conference Centre |
This event will be available by webinar. Click here at 12:00 pm the day of the BBL and follow the instructions on the screen.
You do not need to register for this presentation.
Presenter Biography
Dr. Massolo is a wildlife ecologist with expertise in ecology and behavioural ecology of medium-large vertebrates with a particular focus on terrestrial mammals. During his career he has also gained particular knowledge in biostatistics and ecological and mathematical modelling. His research spanned from Ecology and Behavioural ecology, to Physiology, applied Mathematics, Information Technologies, and allergology.
Since he joined the Department of Ecosystem and Public Health in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada) as Assistant Professor in Wildlife Health Ecology, he founded the Wildlife Ecology and Spatial Epidemiology Lab (WEASEL) with a wildlife biology wet lab, and a GIS lab. He also co-founded the interdisciplinary Wildlife Disease Ecology Group (iWEG) at the University of Calgary for the promotion of interdisciplinary research and teaching. His laboratory also welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world and hosts visiting scholars within international research collaborations.
Dr. Massolo has been teaching principles and Advanced Biostatistics in undergraduate and graduate programs since 1995, and General Biology and Ecological Statistics at undergraduate level. At the Univeristy of Calgary, he currently teaches three graduate courses (Spatial analysis in Ecology and Epidemiology, Research Design, One-Health) and one undergraduate course (Ecosystem and Public Health). In additon, he has authored and co-authored more than 85 peer-reviewed publications and 7 book chapters.
His main research programs are on the ecology and dynamics of complex systems, focusing on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ecological processes and patterns in prey-predator and hosts-parasite interactions.
The ASPB is not responsible for the content of this presentation; the information and views expressed by the presenter(s) are their own.