Influenza A is a virus that can infect a wide range of hosts and thus has the potential to cause widespread infection. Due to urban interactions between avian and rodent species it is possible that the common brown rat, Rattus norvegicus could become a transmission vector, triggering an influenza epidemic or pandemic. To test the potential for viral transmission, samples taken post mortem as swabs and tissue samples from urban rats collected in the city of Boston were tested for the virus using RNA extraction and PCR. Preliminarily positive results were obtained from lung tissue and oronasal swab samples and used to inoculate chicken eggs for viral amplification. Using current methodologies, no virus was detected. Future studies may focus on other model systems for viral amplification.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Araujo, Matthew J.
• Evans, Joseph Robert

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-041819-110938

Advisor

• Rulfs, Jill

Year

• 2019

Sponsor

• Cummings School of Veterinary
• Jonathan Runstadler

Date created

• 2019-04-18

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright