Troy Cline

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Courses Taught:

• Allied Health Microbiology (BIOL 211)
• Pandemics, Germs, and Society (BIOL 311)
• Clinical Laboratory Observation (BIOL 389)
• Medical Bacteriology (BIOL 470W)
• General Virology (BIOL 476)
• Advanced Cellular/Molecular Biology (BIOL 609)

Research Projects:

Influenza viruses pose a significant and recurring health threat to humans and commercial poultry flocks. Influenza viruses, though, typically considered for their ability to cause severe respiratory disease in humans, actually are carried naturally in many species of wild waterfowl without causing disease. When these avian influenza viruses cross the species barrier to infect humans or domestic poultry, serious fatal infections can occur. To prevent incidents such as this, many labs around the world conduct routine surveillance of avian influenza viruses in their natural reservoir. The Cline lab collects samples from wild waterfowl in Butte County, California to address the following research questions: 1) What strains of influenza virus circulate in the northern Sacramento Valley and do they pose a risk to human health?, 2) What physiological and behavioral characteristics make wild waterfowl a suitable reservoir for avian influenza virus infection?, and 3) How do waterfowl migration routes promote the transcontinental spread of avian influenza viruses?