Accelerating Mortality Driven by Pathogen Burden and Host Damage: Insights from a Galleria mellonella-Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Model
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Wilcox, Charlotte Lynn
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Researching the dynamics of lethal infections is important to understand the connections of infection-induced host mortality patterns and the within-host processes in improving predictions of disease dynamics and developing treatment plans. To research these connections, we used a host-pathogen model system, wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella, and its pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa through individual injections. We observed disease dynamics by quantifying survival of the host, health indicators, and the pathogen burden. We show that instantaneous mortality increases approximately exponentially in time since infection. From destructive sampling data, we show that pathogen density also increases, even after death of the larvae, then reaches a plateau. Results also show that pathogen growth reduces survival probability, and this is mainly mediated by the larval health. This shows that both pathogen-related and host-related damage might govern the disease dynamics. This relationship provides a strong guide for future work in understanding the relationship between host health and disease dynamics and exploring treatment options.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis