Health considerations of the rehabilitation of illegally traded houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii in the Middle East

Aspergillus and aspergilloses in wild and domestic animals: a global health concern with parallels to human disease

The importance of aspergillosis in humans and various animal species has increased over the last decades. Aspergillus species are found worldwide in humans and in almost all domestic animals and birds as well as in many wild species, causing a wide range of diseases from localized infections to fatal disseminated diseases, as well as allergic responses to inhaled conidia. Some prevalent forms of animal aspergillosis are invasive fatal infections in sea fan corals, stonebrood mummification in honey bees, pulmonary and air sac infection in birds, mycotic abortion and mammary gland infections in cattle, guttural pouch mycoses in horses, sinonasal infections in dogs and cats, and invasive pulmonary and cerebral infections in marine mammals and nonhuman primates. This article represents a comprehensive overview of the most common infections reported by Aspergillus species and the corresponding diseases in various types of animals.

Outbreaks of Pox Disease Due to Canarypox-Like and Fowlpox-Like Viruses in Large-Scale Houbara Bustard Captive-Breeding Programmes, in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates

Infectious diseases can be serious threats for the success of reinforcement programmes of endangered species. Houbara Bustard species (Chlamydotis undulata and Chlamydotis macqueenii), whose populations declined in the last decades, have been captive-bred for conservation purposes for more than 15 years in North Africa and the Middle East. Field observations show that pox disease, caused by avipoxviruses (APV), regularly emerges in conservation projects of Houbara Bustard, despite a very strict implementation of both vaccination and biosecurity. Data collected from captive flocks of Houbara Bustard in Morocco from 2006 through 2013 and in the United Arab Emirates from 2011 through 2013 were analysed, and molecular investigations were carried out to define the virus strains involved. Pox cases (n = 2311) were observed during more than half of the year (88% of the months in Morocco, 54% in the United Arab Emirates). Monthly morbidity rates showed strong variations across the time periods considered, species and study sites: Four outbreaks were described during the study period on both sites. Molecular typing revealed that infections were mostly due to canarypox-like viruses in Morocco while fowlpox-like viruses were predominant in the United Arab Emirates. This study highlights that APV remain a major threat to consider in bird conservation initiatives.

Body of evidence: forensic use of baseline health assessments to convict wildlife poachers

Context Given the immense impact of wildlife trade, disease and repatriations on populations, health assessments can provide powerful forensic material to help convict wildlife poachers and minimise risks of releasing unhealthy wildlife. Aims We aimed to use reference ranges to assess the health of confiscated tortoises, to illustrate forensic application of these ranges, and to advance analyses for future applications. Methods We used analyses of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA), and composite indices, to compare wild and confiscate tortoise body condition, haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration of males and females of three tortoise species. Subsequently, we used multivariate statistics (e.g. discriminant analyses) to evaluate the relative importance of species, sex and group (wild or confiscate) on tortoise condition and haematology. Key results Our initial statistical tests demonstrated, at P < 0.05 to P < 0.0005, that confiscate body condition and haematology were compromised compared with that of wild tortoises. Subsequently, discriminant analyses strongly discriminated between most wild and confiscate groups (P < 0.0001), correctly classified individual health as wild or confiscate 80–90% of the time, indicated that species and sex effects were stronger than was the wild-confiscate category, and provided discriminant functions for use on other taxa and studies. Conclusions The health assessments discriminated well between wild and confiscate tortoises. The results had considerable forensic value, being relevant, quickly generated using portable field equipment, reliable, accurate, easy to explain and convey in terms of likelihood in a court of law, synergistically consistent among variables and groups, a strong rebuttal to the poachers’ specific statements, and consistent with other types of evidence. Multivariate analyses were consistent with, and more prudent and powerful than, the original statistical analyses. Discriminant functions can be applied in future studies and on other chelonian species, and should be developed for other wildlife species. Implications Reference ranges provide considerable value for forensics, diagnostics and treatment. Given the disease risks resulting from the massive scale of wildlife trade and release, reference ranges should be developed for more species.

Prevalence, serovars, phage types, and antibiotic susceptibilities of Salmonella strains isolated from animals in the United Arab Emirates from 1996 to 2009

The aim of this study was to give some insights into the prevalence, serovars, phage types, and antibiotic resistances of Salmonella from animal origin in the United Arab Emirates. Data on diagnostic samples from animals (n = 20,871) examined for Salmonella between 1996 and 2009 were extracted from the databases of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai and from typed strains (n = 1052) from the Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode Branch in Germany and analyzed for general and animal-specific trends. Salmonella was isolated from 1,928 (9 %) of the 20,871 samples examined. Among the 1,052 typed strains, most were from camels (n = 232), falcons (n = 166), bustards (n = 101), antelopes (n = 66), and horses (n = 63). The predominant serovars were Salmonella Typhimurium (25 %), Salmonella Kentucky (8 %), followed by Salmonella Frintrop (7 %), and Salmonella Hindmarsh (5 %). When analyzed by animal species, the most frequent serovars in camels were Salmonella Frintrop (28 %) and Salmonella Hindmarsh (21 %), in falcons Salmonella Typhimurium (32 %), in bustards Salmonella Kentucky (19 %), in antelopes Salmonella Typhimurium (9 %), and in horses Salmonella Typhimurium (17 %) and S. Kentucky (16 %). Resistance of all typed Salmonella strains (n = 1052) was most often seen to tetracycline (23 %), streptomycin (22 %), nalidixic acid (18 %), and ampicillin (15 %). These data show trends in the epidemiology of Salmonella in different animal species which can be used as a base for future prevention, control, and therapy strategies.