L. Kristen Page, Ph.D.
Ruth Kraft Strohschein Distinguished Chair & Professor of Biology | Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL, UNITED STATES
Dr. Kristen Page studies disease transmission dynamics.
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Biography
Dr. Kristen Page's research focuses on the raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis, how it is transmitted, and how its presence can be decreased in public areas such as forest preserves and green spaces. She often consults with wildlife officials on development and use of mitigation strategies. Dr. Page has also begun to study the connection between parasite and HIV infections in patients abroad.
Professional interests include disease transmission dynamics as a function of land-use and the development of mitigation strategies for zoonotic diseases. Dr. Page attends Church of the Savior where she assists in the children’s ministry. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, reading, walking, camping, and hiking.
Education (3)
Purdue University: Ph.D., Forestry and Natural Resources 1998
Auburn University: M.S., Zoology and Wildlife 1993
Furman University: B.S., Biology 1990
Areas of Expertise and Research Interests (7)
Public Health
Disease Transmission Dynamics
Raccoon Roundworm
Mitigation Strategies
Zoonotic Diseases
Zoology
Parasitology
Professional Affiliations (6)
- American Society of Parasitologists
- American Society of Mammologists
- Mu Phi Epsilon
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Sigma Xi
- Wildlife Disease Association
Media Appearances (4)
Drugged Marshmallows Can Keep Urban Raccoons From Spreading Disease
NPR online
2014-11-26
...Researchers, led by Kristen Page, an ecologist at Wheaton College in Illinois, got down and dirty, studying raccoon hangouts at about 60 sites around Chicago. They wanted to know if there were practical solutions for keeping city folks safe from the critter's parasite. They tested raccoon poop from each site and found about 13 percent of the droppings contained roundworm eggs. However, after baiting monthly for a year with a delicious mix of marshmallow creme laced with pyrantel pamoate (a drug used to deworm dogs and cats), only 3 percent of the feces from the baited sites contained worm eggs.
Drugged marshmallow fluff keeps raccoons from spreading disease
The Washington Post online
2014-11-26
In the latest issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers lead by L. Kristen Page of Wheaton College report on their tasty tactics for protecting public health. Raccoons can carry Baylisascaris worms -- intestinal parasites that can cause rare but serious human infection. The Centers for Disease Control reports that infected raccoons have been found in a number of states across the United States...
Raccoon Toilets Sanitary for Critters, Deadly for Humans
LiveScience online
2010-12-21
There are only 18 known cases when the worm, Baylisascaris procyonis, has infected humans, and all occurred in North America. However, infection doesn't become obvious until the worm's larvae move into a victim's eyes or central nervous system, where they cause blindness, permanent neurological damage, or death. As a result, it's possible cases have escaped detection, according to Kristen Page, a disease ecologist at Wheaton College in Illinois and the lead author of a paper published in the January issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases...
Don't Mess With Raccoons
NPR online
2009-08-14
Wheaton College ecologist Kristen Page and her students found that scat from 21 such spots was heavily contaminated with the worrisome roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis. Page says her findings, to be published in the September issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, dovetail with other studies suggesting that between 20 percent and 80 percent of raccoons in various regions are infected with the worm...
Academics and Published Research (2)
Courses Taught
- BIOL 242 Diversity of Life: An Introduction to Zoology and Botany - BIOL 243 Processes of Life: Ecology and Evolution - BIOL 252 Modeling the Systems of Life - BIOL 351 Ecology - BIOL 352 Parasitology - BIOL 381 Public Health and Nutrition in Developing Areas
Research
Dr. Page has published numerous articles on her area of expertise, the transmission dynamics of disease in human-altered landscapes. Her research primarily focuses on the transmission dynamics of raccoon roundworm and the development of mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of transmission to children. Dr. Page is also investigating the link between parasitic infection and other opportunistic infections among HIV patients.
Select Articles, Chapters, Reviews, and Other Publications (10)
Prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis in habitat associated with Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) populations in Indiana
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Page, L.K., S.A. Johnson, R.K. Swihart, and K.R. Kazacos
2012
Synergistic stressors and the dilemma of conservation in a multivariate world: A case study in Allegheny woodrats
Animal Conservation
Smyser, T.J., S.A. Johnson, L.K. Page, and O.E. Rhodes, Jr.
2012
Prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis in rural and suburban intermediate host populations
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Kellner, K.F., L.K. Page, M. Downey, and S.E. McCord
2012
Management of raccoon roundworm in free-ranging raccoon populations via anthelmintic baiting
The Journal of Wildlife Management
Smyser, T.S., Page, L.K., Johnson, S.A., Hudson, C.M., Kellner, K.F., Swihart, R.K., and Rhodes, O.E., Jr.
2013
Use of experimental translocations of Allegheny woodrat to decipher causal agents of decline
Conservation Biology
Smyser, T.S., Johnson, S.A., Page, L.K., Hudson, C.M., Rhodes, O.E., Jr.
2013
Baylisascaris procyonis in white-footed mice: predicting patterns of infection from landscape habitat attributes
Journal of Parasitology
Beasley, J., Egan, T., II, Page, K., Hennessy, C., Rhodes, O.E., Jr.
2013
Parasites and the conservation of small populations: the case of Baylisascaris procyonis
International Journal of Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife
Page, L. K.
2013
Surveillance for Baylisascaris procyonis in raccoons from Wyoming
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Pipas, M., Page, K, Kazacos, K.
2014
Reduction of Baylisascaris procyonis eggs in raccoon latrines, suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Page, K., Smyser, T.J., Dunkerton, E., Gavard, E., Larkin, B., Gehrt, S.
2014
The structure and seasonality of Baylisascaris procyonis populations in raccoons (Procyon lotor)
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Page LK, Delzell DAP, Gehrt SD, Harrell ED, Hiben M, Walter E, Anchor, C, Kazacos K.
2016
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