completed studies
Since our founding in 1948, Morris Animal Foundation has funded more than $51 million in research to protect, treat, and cure the world’s companion animals and wildlife.
Along the way, our studies have led to major advances in veterinary care, including vaccines and other preventions, diagnostic tools and new therapies for the diseases and health conditions that threaten the lives of the animals we love. You can search our completed-study database by species and/or disease to learn more about our successes.
INSTRUCTIONS - Select a division from the left column, a disease or disorder from the middle column, and a study ID number from the right column.
D05ZO-619: “Detection of Corticosterone Metabolites in Fecal Samples of Wild-Caught House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) as an Accurate Measure of Physilogical Stress Reactions”
principal investigator: Jenny Niemuth, student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
completed
Project Mentor: Erik K. Hofmeister, DVM, PhD
Stress in captive and wild birds results in the release of the steroid corticosterone which can suppress the immune system. Stress-induced immune suppression is a proposed mechanism for the exacerbation of West Nile virus (WNv) infection and transmission. The goal of this study was to understand how the stress response affects WNv susceptibility and evaluate a non-invasive method of measuring corticosterone levels in birds using fecal samples. The preliminary results indicate that corticosterone is measureable in the feces of house sparrows. This will make monitoring the stress level of small birds, particularly in a research setting, more effective and less stressful to the animals.
Jennifer says, “This research project showed me that establishing and validating even one assay can have a significant impact on the way animal health research is conducted and on animal health research itself. I plan to pursue a career that includes animal health research because answering scientific questions, improving animal health, and contributing new knowledge is one way that I can improve our world.”
