Malham Field Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Malham Field - Lab Report Example Common helminth parasites present included cestodes and trematodes. The rodents served as either intermediate or definitive host of the parasites. Examination of human faecal for the parasites yielded related parasites in terms of their biology and pathogenesis. Parasites prevalence correlated with rodent sex in addition to the rodent weight or length. Females harboured more parasites than males and a single host could have multiple infections of different endoparasites. In our results common parasites population we found include; Graphidium strigosum, Cittotaenia lobata, Passalurus spp. and Taenia pisiformis in rabbit (O. cuniculis and in wood mouse, Heligsomoides spp., Plagiorchis spp, Syphacea and Capillaria spp. Rainfall data for the period coinciding with the collection of the parasite data was also gathered to assess the influence of seasonal changes in weather against the parasites population. A comparison of the biology of endoparasites fauna present in the rodents in Malham Tarn and gastrointestinal parasites of humans was also undertaken. DNA extraction from Cittotaenia lobata (tapeworm) using affinity methods where DNA was allowed to bind to a membrane and then eluted using appropriate buffer was done. The purity of the recovered DNA was determined by taking absorbance at 260 nm and at 280 nm and comparing the ratio to the known ratio of pure DNA which is 1.8 Table of Contents Summary 2 List of figures 4 List of tables 7 Acknowledgement 8 1.INTRODUCTION: 9 1.1.Brief background to site: Malham Tarn 9 1.2.Aims/objectives of field course 9 1.3.Summary of host and parasite fauna from Malham via available literature/references; common parasites in woodmice, rabbits 9 1.4.Gastrointestinal parasites of humans; common parasites in underdeveloped regions; possible comparative biology for Malham parasites species 11 1.5.Importance of diagnostic tests in humans and veterinary parasitology, relative importance/usefulness of different approaches e.g. microscopy c oprotests, serology, PCR 13 2.MATERIALS AND METHODS: 14 2.1.Microscopy 14 2.2.Preparation/staining blood films, thin smear faeces 14 2.3.Trapping rodents 14 2.4.Dissections; 14 2.4.1.Examination and dissection of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) 14 2.4.2.Examination and dissection of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) 16 2.5.Parasites Data Collection 16 2.6.Data Analysis 17 2.7.DNA extraction and concentration, protein evaluation 17 3.RESULTS: 18 3.1.Apodemus (wood mouse) parasites levels found in after dissection rabbit 23 3.2.Parasites levels found in wood mouse after dissection 30 3.3.DNA extraction and purity on OD280/260 convert to ug/ml 48 4.DISCUSSION: 49 REFERENCE 51 List of figures Figure 1: histogram showing the distribution of Graphidium parasites in rabbit host sampled between 1992 and 2011 in Malham Tarn area 24 Figure 2: Prevalence of Graphidium infections from 1992-2011 25 Figure 3: Histogram showing T. pisiformis parasites population from 1992-2011. Parasites populations was highest in 1999 as can been seen above. 26 Figure 4: Prevalence of Taenia pisiformis population from 1992-2011 at Malham Tarn 27 Figure 5: histogram showing mean Passalurus infections from 1992-2011 27 Figure 6: Line graph showing the prevalence level of Passalurus parasites among rabbit hosts from 1992 to 2011 28 Figure 7: Histogram of the mean Cittotaenia intensity from 1992 to 2011 28 Figure 8: Prevalence of Cittotaenia infections from 1992 to 2011 29 Figure 9: Histogram showing the changes in Trichostrongylus population from 1992 to 2011 29 Figure 10: Graph of the prevalence of Trichostrongylus parasites from 1992 to 2011 30 Figure 11: The graph shows the mean Heligmosomoides parasites found in wood