Cestode Species Identification on Waterfowl: Parasitology Class Project 2022

Kryzsko Commons Ballroom

Parasites can have a significant effect on an ecosystem if they become too abundant due to the multitude of animals that play a role in their life cycle. This research is a part of a larger class project for BIO 462 identifying parasites that are commonly found in or on waterfowl from around the Winona, Minnesota area. Ducks were donated from hunters and dissected to collect their endo and ectoparasites. Parasite specimens were stained and mounted to look for morphological characteristics that ultimately helped identify the parasites using light microscopy. DNA was extracted from the individual cestodes, and PCR was used to amplify select genes of the DNA. The DNA was then sequenced then compared to other DNA samples in GenBank which determined if the parasites was already classified or if a new species was found. More specimens will be processed to obtain additional results and obtain proper identification. These findings could help identify not only what parasites are common in certain species of ducks, but also provide additional information to the abundance of parasites within waterfowl in our local area.