Record Details
Retrospective study of the prevalence of Pseudoloma neurophilia between zebrafish sexes
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Retrospective study of the prevalence of Pseudoloma neurophilia between zebrafish sexes |
| Names |
Chow, Fidelis
(creator) Kent, Michael L. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2014-05-28 (iso8601) |
| Note | Honors Bachelor of Science (HBS) |
| Abstract | As a major biological model for biomedical research, maintaining healthy zebrafish (Danio rerio) is imperative for accurate and consistent lab results. This retrospective study focuses on Pseudoloma neurophilia, a microsporidium, because it is the most common pathogen found in laboratory zebrafish. An online database maintained by the Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) contains data on thousands of zebrafish submitted to their diagnostic laboratory since 2000. Zebrafish samples were examined in order to find sex related patterns, which may point to potential factors that contribute to increased chances of having P. neurophilia. Sex, clinical status (sick or apparently healthy), and presence of the infection based on histopathology were analyzed for any potential correlation between sex, P. neurophilia, with comparisons between sick and healthy fish. Data compiling resulted in a chi-square test p-value of 0.0045, indicating that there exists a strong correlation that male zebrafish are more often infected with P. neurophilia. References suggest a wide variety of causes. However, a main contributor to increased infection may be an increased level of stress in males compared to females. This study serves as an analysis into ZIRC submissions of zebrafish infected with P. neurophilia and determining the potential variation in infection rates and degree of severities between zebrafish sexes. |
| Genre | Thesis |
| Topic | Zebrafish |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/50847 |
