Rift Valley Fever in African Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer): Basic Epidemiology and the Role of Bovine Tuberculosis Coinfection
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Brianna Beechler for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Sciences presented on May 24, 2013. Title: Rift Valley Fever in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer): Basic epidemiology and the Role of Bovine Tuberculosis Coinfection Abstract approved: Anna E Jolles Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease native to the African continent. Outbreaks tend to occur in the wet seasons, and can affect numerous mammalian species including African buffalo. It is debated how the virus survives the inter- epidemic period when it is not detected in mammalian populations, either in cryptic wildlife hosts or by vertical transmission in mosquito hosts. In chapters 1 and 2 of this dissertation I show that buffalo do become infected in the inter-epidemic period although that is not sufficient to maintain viral cycling in the system without additional mammalian hosts and high vertical transmission rates. Bovine tuberculosis is an emerging disease in sub-Saharan Africa, first detected in Kruger National Park buffalo populations in 1990. African buffalo are a maintenance host for BTB in the ecosystem, and there has been detailed research about pathogen provenance and diversity, effects on the host and transmission dynamics. These studies have focused on a single invasive pathogen, BTB – despite the fact that buffalo act as hosts for a multitude of pathogens. Fundamental theory in community ecology and immunology suggests that parasites within a host should interact, by sharing resources, competing for resources or by altering the immune response. In chapter 3 I show that animals with BTB are more likely to become infected with RVF, more likely to show clinical signs and that the presence of BTB increases the size of RVF epidemics in African buffalo. In chapters 4 and 5 I demonstrate that one of the mechanisms underlying this pattern may be immune-mediated whereby animals with BTB have altered susceptibility to RVF. Understanding how emerging diseases, like BTB, may affect native host-pathogen or pathogen - pathogen interactions will help us understand the full impact that emerging diseases may have on an ecosystem. © Copyright by Brianna Beechler May 24, 2013 All Rights Reserved Rift Valley Fever in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer): Basic Epidemiology and the Role of Bovine Tuberculosis Coinfection by Brianna Beechler A DISSERTATION submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Presented defense May 24, 2013 Commencement June 2013 Doctor of Philosophy dissertation of Brianna Beechler presented on May 30, 2013 APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Environmental Sciences Director of the Environmental Sciences Program Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my dissertation will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my dissertation to any reader upon request. Brianna Beechler, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My advisor, Anna Jolles, offered countless hours of her time in the form of advice, counsel and support. This thesis would not be possible without her excellent guidance. This thesis would also not have been possible without the support of the NSF EEID grant awarded to Vanessa Ezenwa & Anna Jolles, along with Morris Animal Foundation who funded me throughout my fieldwork. I am grateful for the support of my fellow labmates on the buffalo project who made this Ph.D. possible: Erin Gorsich, Heather Broughton, Brian Henrichs, Robert & Johannie Spaan. And lastly this would not have been possible without the support of numerous family and friends, especially those took care of my animals while I spent 2 years in the field in South Africa. CONTRIBUTION OF AUTHORS For all chapters (1,3,4,5) with Dr. Anna Jolles and Dr. Vanessa Ezenwa as authors: Dr. Vanessa Ezenwa and Dr. Anna Jolles are the principal investigators on the NSF EEID macroparasite-microparasite dynamics grant which supported the field captures for longitudinal buffalo samples and also provided manuscript editing. Chapter 1: Dr. Roy Bengis offered the data from the state veterinary bovine tuberculosis surveys and also assisted in manuscript editing. Dr. Bob Swanepoel offered advice and manuscript editing. Dr. Janusz Paweska, Alan Kemp & Dr. Petrus Jansen van Vuren performed the virus neutralization testing for RVF on all buffalo serum samples in the project. Chapter 2: Carrie Manore helped design the mathematical model, ran the simulations and wrote the methods/results sections. I also helped design the model, estimated parameters, made the figures and wrote the introduction/discussion sections. Chapter 3: Bjorn Reninghaus wrote the initial reports from the captive buffalo breeding facility after the outbreak in 2008 and helped obtain the remainder of the breeding facility data. Dr. Carrie Manore helped create the mathematical model used in the manuscript and ran the simulations. Chapter 4: Heather Broughton and Austin Bell helped perform the labwork during capture periods. Chapter 5: Erin Gorsich did the bactericidal assay laboratory work. Brian Henrichs was the undergraduate student who ran the lymphocyte proliferation assay samples. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................2 RIFT VALLEY FEVER IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK: DO BUFFALO PLAY A ROLE IN THE INTEREPIDEMIC CIRCULATION OF VIRUS?....................................................................................6 1.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................8 1.2 Methods....................................................................................................................9 1.3 Results....................................................................................................................13 1.4 Discussion...............................................................................................................14 INTER-EPIDEMIC AND BETWEEN-SEASON PERSISTENCE OF RIFT VALLEY FEVER: VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OR CRYPTIC CYCLING......................................................................................25 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................26 2.2 Methods..................................................................................................................30 2.3 Results....................................................................................................................35 2.4 Discussion...............................................................................................................38 2.5 Appendix................................................................................................................51 ENEMIES AND TURN-COATS: THE EMERGING DISEASE BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS EXPOSES PATHOGENIC POTENTIAL OF RIFT VALLEY FEVER VIRUS IN A NATIVE HOST............................55 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................56 3.2 Methods..................................................................................................................59 3.3 Results....................................................................................................................64 3.4 Discussion...............................................................................................................66 INNATE IMMUNITY IN FREE-RANGING AFRICAN BUFFALO (SYNCERUS CAFFER): ASSOCIATIONS WITH PARASITE INFECTION AND WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNTS..................................................77 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................79 4.2 Methods..................................................................................................................82 4.3 Results....................................................................................................................88 4.4 Discussion...............................................................................................................90 4.5 Appendix..............................................................................................................102 THE EFFECT OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS ON HOST DEFENSES AGAINST INTRACELLULAR MICROPARASITIC DISEASES IN AFRICAN BUFFALO..................................................................104 5.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................106 5.2 Methods................................................................................................................108 5.3 Results..................................................................................................................115 5.4 Discussion.............................................................................................................116 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................127 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 RVF status of buffalo herds between 1996-2012 by geographic location and year............21 1.2 1998 Kruger National park-wide RVF survey data.............................................................22 1.3 RVF Seroprevalence by age of buffalo...............................................................................23