Current research interests include comparative pathology of mycoplasmosis in poultry and other non-mammalian hosts with emphasis on vaccine development through characterization of virulence determinants, as well as molecular characterization of atypical bacterial and protozoal infectious agents in non-mammalian hosts, e.g., chlamydia-like and rickettsia-like bacteria in cultured salmonids, nontuberculous mycobacteria in finfish, and agents of paramoebiasis in American lobster.

Graduate Students:

Dr. Akinyi Nyaoke

Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science
University of Connecticut
61 North Eagleville Road, U-3089
Storrs CT 06269

Phone: (860) 486-1138 (office); (860) 486-0831 (lab)
Fax: (860) 486-2794
Email: salvatore.frasca@uconn.edu

Hudson, P., Gorton, T.S., Papazisi, L., Cecchini, K., Frasca, Jr., S., and Geary, S.J. Identification of a novel virulence determinant, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (lpd), in Mycoplasma gallisepticum through in vivo screening of transposon mutants. Infection and Immunity, 2006, 74:931-939.

Mullen, T.E., Nevis, K.R., O’Kelly, C.J., Gast, R.J., and Frasca, Jr., S. Nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene-based characterization, molecular phylogeny, and PCR detection of the neoparamoeba from western Long Island Sound lobster. Journal of Shellfish Research 2005, 24:719-731.

Javed, M.A., Frasca, Jr., S., Rood, D., Cecchini, K., Gladd, M., Geary, S.J., and Silbart, L.K. Correlates of immune protection in GT5 vaccinated chickens challenged with pathogenic Mycoplasma gallisepticum Rlow. Infection and Immunity, 2005, 73:5410-5419.

Frasca, Jr., S., Weber, E.S., Urquhart, H., Liao, X., Gladd, M., Cecchini, K., Hudson, P., May, M., Gast, R.J., Gorton, T.S., and Geary, S.J. Isolation and Characterization of Mycoplasma sphenisci sp. nov. from the choana of an aquarium-reared jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus). Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2005, 43:2976-2979.

Draghi, A., Popov, V., Kahl, M., Stanton, J.B., Brown, C.C., Tsongalis, G.J., West, A.B., and Frasca, Jr., S. Characterization of ‘Candidatus’ Piscichlamydia salmonis (gen. nov, sp. nov.) (order Chlamydiales), a chlamydia-like bacterium associated with epitheliocystis in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2004, 42:5286-5297.

Peglar, M.T., Amaral-Zettler, L.A., Anderson, O.R., Nerad, T.A., Mullen, T.E., Frasca, Jr., S., Silberman, J.D., O'Kelly, C.J., Gillevet, P.M., and Sogin, M.L. Two new small subunit ribosomal RNA gene clades within the morphologically defined subclass Gymnamoebia. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 2003, 50:224-232.

Papazisi, L., Frasca, Jr., S., Gladd, M., Liao, X., Yogev, D., and Geary, S.J. GapA and CrmA co-expression is essential for Mycoplasma gallisepticum cytadherence and virulence. Infection and Immunity, 2002, 70:6839-6845.

Papazisi, L., Silbart, L.K., Frasca, Jr., S., Rood, D., Liao, X., Gladd, M., Javed, M.A., and Geary, S.J. A modified live Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine to protect chickens from respiratory disease. Vaccine, 2002, 20:3709-3719.