thanks to Ms. Edna Mitchell for long hours of tedious work devoted to 

 maintenance of sand fly and rodent colonies, and to conducting life 

 cycle experiments. Mr. Ray Hale and Ms. Gabriel le Hodson assisted 

 with the photography and graphics, and Mrs. Margo Duncan offered 

 valuable suggestions in designing tables and figures. Ms. Debra Akin 

 generously shared her time and technical expertise in electron 

 microscopy. Mrs. Adele Koehler helped type the final manuscript. 



I am grateful for the friendship of fellow graduate students and 

 cohorts, Dr. Richard Endris, Dr. Peter Perkins, Dr. Richard Johnson, 

 CPT Terry Klein, Mr. Eric Milstrey, Mr. Bruce Alexander, and Mr. 

 Charles "Ben" Beard. Their suggestions and encouragement were 

 appreciated and their humor was therapeutic. 



Finally, I wish to express my love and deepest gratitude to my 

 wife, Joyce, for her unwaivering love, support and sacrifice, and for 

 periodically reminding me of my true priorities. I thank my wonderful 

 children, Natalie, Juliet, Nathan, Joshua, Aaron, and Andrew, for the 

 three year's worth of afternoons, evenings, and weekends that could 

 have been theirs. 



IV 



