Shifting disease dynamics following the invasion of an emerging wildlife pathogen

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dc.contributor.authorLaggan, Nichole Andreaen
dc.contributor.committeechairHoyt, Joseph R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberDuggal, Nishaen
dc.contributor.committeememberBelden, Lisa Kayen
dc.contributor.committeememberLangwig, Kate Elizabethen
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-17T08:00:32Zen
dc.date.available2025-07-17T08:00:32Zen
dc.date.issued2025-07-16en
dc.description.abstractgeneralThe introduction of pathogens to new regions can have significant impacts to human, agricultural and wildlife health. Introduced pathogens can change and adapt to new hosts (i.e. the species that they infect) and to new habitats. These factors can ultimately influence their impact on host populations over time. Understanding the changes that occur following invasion allows for more effective strategies to conserve threatened species. In my dissertation, I explore an introduced fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in North American bats. My results revealed that species that contribute the most to pathogen transmission (i.e. the spread of pathogen to a new host) are also the species that experience the most severe disease and greatest mortality, which reduces their contribution over time. Additionally, I found that pathogen growth rates and the harm the pathogen causes to hosts has declined since the introduction to North America. I also observed high variation in pathogen growth rates after invasion and found that these were associated with bat population responses. These findings highlight the multiple ways disease processes change following pathogen invasion, which is critical information for effectively allocating resources to species imperiled by infectious diseases.en
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Philosophyen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:44387en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10919/136505en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
dc.subjectemerging infectious diseaseen
dc.subjectenvironmental reservoiren
dc.subjectpathogen virulenceen
dc.subjectwildlife disease ecologyen
dc.subjectwhite-nose syndromeen
dc.subjectPseudogymnoascus destructansen
dc.titleShifting disease dynamics following the invasion of an emerging wildlife pathogenen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciencesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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