The students were testing a group of animals for ringworm.
FARMINGTON – Katie Gassman, Lianne Koczur and Prema Long use a toothbrush to brush the animals’ faces and legs to gather cultures. They then place each animal’s culture in it’s own round case containing a nutritional base and incubate it.
The University of Maine at Farmington sophomores have been conducting ringworm tests on animals under quarantine at the Franklin County Animal Shelter since early March.
A stray litter of kittens had come to the shelter and developed signs of ringworm in February. The shelter has remained closed since then.
Shelter Manager Patty Lovell is hoping to reopen in mid-April.
“We are testing all the cats and the litters and several of the dogs,” Long said. “We believe the dog room is ringworm free.”
Before Gassman, Koczur and Long could conduct testing they had to write a proposal to do the independent genetics project.
“I didn’t really know too much about ringworm at all,” Koczur said.
That’s changed.
The women, all 20, checked the Internet to find a recipe for a jellied testing base.
They wear long-sleeved shirts and latex gloves to conduct their studies at the shelter.
“We take toothbrushes and brush the sides of their faces and legs,” Gassman said. “Ringworm is most prevalent around the facial area and the legs.”
The animals seem to like it, Gassman said.
“It’s fun to do,” Long added.
Once they’ve collected the cultures they go back to the natural science laboratory at the college and place the closed circular cases in an incubation unit.
The unit, which resembles a small stainless steel refrigerator but is heated, contained about 75 cultures in various stages.
The orange-type jell base turns red or dark orange when the cultures are positive for ringworm.
It takes three days to three weeks to determine if the culture is negative or positive.
Each of the containers has a code on it matched to the animal at the shelter.
The women credit their professor, Jean Doty, for supporting them and getting the funding from the university’s Natural Science Department to do the project for the shelter.
While the testing is ongoing, Gassman, Koczur and Long are planning a presentation on their project during a student symposium Wednesday, April 14, at the university.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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