Abstract
Large-scale deworming efforts against gastrointestinal nematodes are integral to the livestock industry and to the health of human populations in developing countries. However, optimum deworming strategies remain inadequately understood, with our ability to test them in livestock and humans often limited by logistical, political and ethical concerns. This project will use a tractable, wildlife host-parasite system (wood mice infected with a hookworm-like species, Heligmosomoides polygyrus) to address fundamental questions about nematode epidemiology and transmission dynamics and answer key questions about how to maximize the impact of deworming strategies for animal health.
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