In Doyeon’s first first author publication she used cell phones to record the wingbeats of mosquitoes infected with heartworm parasites and non-infected mosquitoes. Wingbeat recordings can be used to identify mosquito species and she wanted to see if these recordings could also be used to identify whether mosquitoes are infected with parasites or not!

She found that there is no significant difference between infected and non infected mosquitoes, but as mosquitoes have an increase in the number of infective worms (L3) stage, wingbeat frequency decreases significantly!

Very cool to work with AU CVM on this project with world renowned heartworm scientists and the team that invented ABUZZ-for cell phone identification of mosquito species!

Great work to Shelby Zikeli and Katie Izenour for putting together this paper on ecotparasite from white-tailed deer in Alabama and the Bartonella spp. found in them. This was work that Shelby did for her Master’s thesis working with the AU Deer Lab. In a small population of deer in a well-known field side, ectoparasites, including Lipoptena mazamae, the neotropical deer ked were described and through screening of blood from deer and ectoparasites, Shelby found 4 Bartonella species! Three that are known zoonotic pathogens: Bartonella bovis, Bartonella schoenbuchensis, and Bartonella melophagi!

Also, in this study site in Alabama she also found deer and their keds to have a new clade of Bartonella sp. 1! Sometimes you can find new microbes in your own backyard, literally!

Check out the paper here

Kayleigh was recently selected to be a Fulbright Fellow for her work on free-roaming carnivores, parasites and conservation and public health impacts!!

After a lot of hard work putting together this proposal, she will be returning to Madagascar to work with Mad Dog Initiative and the amazing Mahaliana!!

Check out some of her amazing lemur illustrations here! We are all very proud of you, Kayleigh!