About
8
Publications
4,079
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141
Citations
Introduction
Brad van Paridon graduated with his Ph.D. from the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, and now works as a freelance science writer. Brad researched Parasitology, Molecular Biology and Evolutionary Biology. You can check out his work at bradleyvanparidon.com
Skills and Expertise
Additional affiliations
January 2011 - March 2017
Position
- PhD Student
Description
- PhD thesis on the invasive liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendtiricum. Development and use of molecular markers to identify hosts, trace invasion history and investigate population structure of manipulative metacercaria in ants.
January 2011 - March 2017
January 2011 - March 2017
University of Lethbridge / University of Calgary
Position
- PhD Student
Description
- Using molecular biology techniques such as gene sequencing and microsatellites analysis to diagnose Dicrocoelium dendriticum in hosts and investigate its invasion history and host manipulation.
Publications
Publications (8)
Significance
The lancet fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum can precisely manipulate its ant host to facilitate transmission to its ungulate host. However, the sole parasite manipulator in the ant brain is presumed not infective to its next host whereas the parasites in the abdomen of the same ant are infective. We conducted a test of genetic relatednes...
Parasite distributions are constantly changing due to climate change, local and global movement of animals and humans, as well as land use and habitat change. The trematode D. dendriticum is a relatively recent invader into Canada being first reported in Eastern Canada in the 1930s and Western Canada in the 1970s. However, historical records are sc...
The expansion of parasite distributions outside of their native host and geographical ranges has occurred repeatedly over evolutionary time. Contemporary examples include emerging infectious diseases (EID's), many of which pose threats to human, domestic animal, and wildlife populations. Theory predicts that parasites with complex life cycles will...
More than 70 species of the family Paramphistomatidae, have been identified in ruminants in different parts of the world. Most are pathogenic, causing amphistomosis. Adult flukes of this Family have a predilection for the rumen, liver or bile duct of ruminants where they may cause damage to the epithelium. Identification of adult paramphistomes to...
Fascioliasis is an important disease affecting livestock, with great costs to producers worldwide. It has also become a serious issue for human populations in some endemic areas as an emerging zoonotic infection. There are two Fasciola species of liver fluke responsible for this disease, which occur worldwide, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola giganti...
Abstract The hookworms Uncinaria rauschi Olsen, 1968 and Uncinaria yukonensis (Wolfgang, 1956) were formally described from grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (Ursus americanus) of North America. We analyzed the intestinal tracts of 4 grizzly and 9 black bears from Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and isolated Uncinaria specimen...
Epidemiological parameters such as transmission rate, rate of parasite-induced host mortality, and rate of development of host defenses can be assessed indirectly by characterizing the manner in which parasite burdens change with host age. For parasites that are host generalists, estimates of these important parameters may be host-species dependent...
