Biology ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases represent a significant, increasing threat to human life, economic stability, and global security. The One Health framework, which promotes human health and wellness through the understanding that animal, environmental, and human health are interwoven, is critical to understanding pathogen emergence and transmission. This is underscored by the fact that roughly 60% of all human pathogens and 75% of emerging infectious disease are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.

The work presented in this dissertation integrates genomic epidemiology, ecological analysis, and One Health Surveillance approaches to characterize cross-species circulation of opportunistic yeast pathogens (Candida species sensu lato) and enteric bacterial species (Shigella flexneri).  Chapter one evaluates potentially pathogenic yeast fungal diversity across avian and environmental sources, finding that throat and cloacal samples of Sandhill cranes showed high levels of colonization with the opportunistic pathogens Clavispora lusitaniae (formerly Candida lusitaniae) and members of the Meyerozyma guillermondii (formerly Candida guillermondii) species complex. Chapter two focuses specifically on the genomic structures of Clavispora (Candida) lusitaniae across animal, human, and environmental sources. Chapter three characterizes transmission dynamics of Shigella flexneri during an outbreak affecting vulnerable human and nonhuman primate populations, finding the nonhuman primates strain was introduced into captive ape populations from a circulating, drug-resistant outbreak in humans.

Language

English

Keywords

infectious disease, zoonotics, One Health, genomic epidemiology

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Biology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

UNM Biology Department

First Committee Member (Chair)

Donald Natvig

Second Committee Member

Joseph Cook

Third Committee Member

Helen Wearing

Fourth Committee Member

Daryl Domman

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