About Me:


I am pursuing a Master’s degree in the Integrated Biological Sciences program here at UMD. My undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Arts, though I double majored in International Studies and Pre-med. I minored in Art and Chemistry. 
While still an undergraduate at UMD I was fortunate enough to gain my first lab and field experiences at the Large Lakes Observatory.  I then went on to participate in the Pathways program my senior year, which placed me in Dr. Clarke’s lab.
When I was a young girl, my grandmother instilled in me the importance of family, community, and service to others. With these values as a foundation, I advance my education and practice of science to not only grow in my own understanding of the world, but how to better my role in it.

~Veronica Aili Nelson

Introduction:

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by a spirochete bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which can lead to chronic, debilitating complications, so it is important to identify high-risk areas for contracting this microbial infection. A zoonose, Borrelia burgdorferi transfers from non-human to human hosts via a primary vector, deer ticks, Ixodes scapularis. The ticks’ first contact with B. burgdorferi seems to be through feeding on the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, a common host for immature ticks. As areas of Minnesota become increasingly susceptible to rodent and tick populations per climatic trends, people are at heightened risk for exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi in addition to other pathogenic elements.

Thesis Statement:

ECOLOGICAL PREVALENCE OF SPIROCHETE BORRELIA BURGDORFERI IN REGIONS OF MINNESOTA

AIMS

  • Sample tick and mouse populations from multiple areas of Minnesota from varying temperature zones.
  • Quantify prevalence of bacteria within ticks and mice, as well as the population of ticks and mice with the bacteria
  • Identify regions of high-risk areas for contracting Lyme disease by testing for Borrelia burgdorferi within deer ticks and wild-caught white-footed mice.
  • Represent data through GIS technology to update current representations of high-risk areas for contracting Lyme disease.
This research will attempt to gauge the prevalence in incidental hosts: other species of mice, raccoons, shrews, squirrels, etc.

High School and Community Involvement:

Students from Cloquet , Eveleth and Esko High Schools have been actively involved in the tick collecting aspect of this research.


Students donning the appropriate long sleeves and tall socks before tromping into tall grassesin search of ticks!













Students and their hand-crafted tick “drag”, the apparatus for catching ticks.


GET INVOLVED!

I offer a Tick Awareness Workshop providing information on the bacteria, the disease process, the collection methods, data analysis, as well as offer techniques for guarding against ticks, how to identify ticks and areas of risk, how to recognize symptoms of Lyme, and how I test for Lyme. If you are a teacher and you are interested in involving your students in this project or are interested in having me speak
on the subject for a class, feel free to contact me. ALL ARE WELCOME!
Any individual is welcome to send incidental or intentional collections of small mammals or deer ticks.
To send samples, please fill out this form to the best of your ability and mail to the contact information listed below.

Helpful links:

LOCAL RESOURCES

Center for Disease Control
Minnesota Department of Health
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Gunderson Lutheran Medical Foundation>

OUTSIDE RESOURCES

Tick Info
University of Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center

General Awareness and Prevention:

Tick Identification


 

Questions? Please see my contact information below.

Veronica Aili Nelson
DMED Biomedical Sciences
328 SMed
D604A
1035 University Dr
Duluth, MN 55812

Email: nels5009@d.umn.edu
 Phone: 1-218-726-8749