The Development Of A Web-based Tool To Facilitate Epidemiological Research in Toxoplasma gondii

The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a global zoonotic pathogen that endangers animals and humans alike. In the past two decades, genetic tools have been used to identify thousands of T. gondii samples from a variety of hosts, providing a grand view of its population structure. However, the detailed genotyping data are scattered in literature, making it difficult to grasp the full picture. From polymorphic virulence factors to still poorly understood host pathogen relationships, there are many things to be gained from knowing the genotype distribution of T. gondii. There are many static maps presenting T. gondii distribution worldwide, but these maps can fall behind the growing body of knowledge as research progresses, and they lack a capacity for interactive analysis of the data. We will address this problem with an application with mapping as its base that allows for basic user analysis. This thesis is a culmination of the efforts to create an interactive database that doubles as an app for data analysis in this research space. This project uses ArcGIS Experience Builder from ESRI and data mined from reports on T. gondii to establish a tool for tracking T. gondii genetic diversity worldwide and facilitate the improvement of our risk assessment and understanding the dangers posed by this polymorphic pathogen.