PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 22: Pathogens, Toxins, and Disease I: Modeling ; Mammalian.
Presiding: J Foufopoulos
Tuesday, August 5. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, SITCC Meeting Room 201.
A simple individual-based model for the transmission of avian malaria in Hawai'i.
Ahumada, Jorge*,1, Samuel, Michael1, 4, Dobson, Andrew2, LaPointe, Dennis3, Atkinson, Carter3, 1 USGS/National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI4 Univerity of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI2 Princeton University, Princeton, NJ3 USGS/Pacific Islands Ecosystems Research Center, Volcano, HI
ABSTRACT- We present an individual based model that simulates the transmission of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) by Culex mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus) on honeycreeepers in the big island of Hawai'i. We explore the properties and predictions of this model as we vary the intensity and statistical distribution of biting rates on hosts, the numerical ratio of vector and hosts, the differential attraction of vectors to infected hosts and the population dynamics of vectors along an elevational gradient. We also suggest ways to estimate some of the transmission parameters (particularly bitting rates on hosts) using field measurements of parasite prevalence on hosts and vectors and their population abundance.
Key words: model, malaria, Hawai'i, transmission