Gemma Rawson - Thesis Defence
AN UPDATED INVENTORY OF MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUSES IN THE MARITIMES AND PROVINCAL TARGETED SURVEILLANCE PLANS FOR VECTOR SPECIES
MSc Biology Candidate: Gemma Rawson
10 June 2025
10:00 AM Atlantic
Hybrid Defence
KCIC Acadia Room
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Meeting ID: 247 308 811 012 0
Passcode: H92CQ2tP
Thesis Committee:
Drs. Laura Ferguson & Dan Peach, Supervisors
Dr. Rosalind Murray, External Examiner
Dr. Todd Smith, Internal Examiner
Dr. Edith Callaghan, Chair of the defence
Abstract
Across Canada, the prevalence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) has historically been low due to our cool, temperate climate, and thus many provinces, including the Maritimes, do not complete regular mosquito or arbovirus surveillance. However, this lack of surveillance limits our understanding of the drivers of mosquito and arbovirus prevalence across Canada, as well as our ability to predict the increasing risks of arboviruses associated with climate change. To improve our ability to predict the future of arbovirus risk in the Maritimes, the objectives of my research were to 1) update the baseline inventory of mosquito species in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, 2) detect if West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus and the California serogroup viruses are present in these populations, and 3) develop a targeted arbovirus surveillance plan for eight vector species of West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus and the California serogroup viruses under current and future climate change scenarios using species distribution modeling. Overall, we collected over 50,000 mosquitoes and detected a total of eight new species records in New Brunswick, seven in Prince Edward Island and two in Nova Scotia, of which many are vectors of arboviruses present in Canada. In addition, we detected the California serogroup viruses across all three provinces, and one positive pool of eastern equine encephalitis virus in New Brunswick. We did not detect any West Nile virus but created degree day models to explore potential thermal limits of this virus in the region. Species distribution models also suggested that most vector species are currently limited by temperature, and thus habitat suitability will continue to increase with climate change. As habitat suitability increases, it will next be important to use these updated baselines to continue targeted surveillance of the arbovirus vectors in the Maritimes as a proactive approach to mitigating the risks of mosquito-borne disease with climate change.
About Gemma…
My name is Gemma Rawson, and I am a graduate student in Dr. Laura Ferguson’s lab. My Master’s research focused on mosquito and virus surveillance across the Maritime provinces, where the Acadia Mosquito team and I traveled throughout the Maritimes collecting all the mosquitoes we could get our hands on! I have a profound love for insects and commonly spend my time walking slowly along hiking trails, taking photos and identifying insects and other arthropod friends! I love research and am interested in vector biology and medical entomology, always looking to learn more about the important vector species around us!