Modeling the effects of Elaphostrongylus tenuis on moose populations Introduction
The cervine parasite E. tenuis is caused by a meningeal nematode worm that passes through a complex life cyle in which it is transmitted from the feces of white tail deer to the moose via an intermediate gastropod snail. It is one of the few diseases in moose which causes death within the host. The worm bores into the spinal cord and the membranes surrounding the brain of its host. These effects severly lower the fitness of the moose host eventually leading to its death either by disease or other causes due to lack of awareness. Dr. Fefferman and I are going to design a mathematical model to capture the system parameters, then we will analyze trends in our findings in order to better understand the system.