Wildlife veterinarian, conservation and public health

3D wildlife skull models for wildlife veterinary training

Wildlife veterinarians are necessary for zoonotic diseases and species loss management, and there is a rising interest to enroll at veterinary schools with the wish to work in zoo and wildlife medicine. However, teaching wildlife is challenging due to the difficulty faced by universities to work with wild animal specimens. The aim of the present was to evaluate the understanding efficiency of some anatomical and behavioral aspects using 3D printed models of four wildlife species skulls, the kinkaju (Potos flavus), the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), the northern anteater (Tamandua mexicana), and the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). This study was performed on 85 third-year veterinary students, divided into an experimental and a control group, who used and not used 3D printed skulls, respectively. Results show that the experimental group shows higher scores, in three of the four variables evaluated, than the control group. Then, 3D wildlife printed skulls constitute a promising teaching tool for veterinary students. In fact, it may be as good as real skulls, since new 3D printers can print on high endurance and firmness stock with high accuracy at reduced costs. In this context, it is important to encourage its use for the training of new generations and keep professionals up to date.

Current wildlife crime (Indian scenario): major challenges and prevention approaches

The constant depletion of wild flora and fauna in India due to uncontrolled human activities, natural habitat destruction and covert poaching activities is threatening the ecological balance. The poaching and trafficking of wild species in the lure of money as well as fashion has wiped out a range of wildlife species that call for critical attention to tackle this menace. There are many transit routes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam, which are major hubs for wildlife trafficking in India, in both domestic and international markets. The poaching of wild animals and plants slowly erases biodiversity, which in turn affects the survival of humans and other living species. Therefore, there is an urgent need to check ongoing wildlife crimes, raise the number of endangered species, rehabilitate exotic/extinct species and restore natural ecosystems. In this article, we collected wildlife crime data from web portals of various stakeholders, government agencies and authentic news sources, and discuss the current crime trends, challenges, and prevention approaches required to control and restore wildlife biodiversity in India.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-023-02577-z.

A SCOPING REVIEW OF THE RANGIFER TARANDUS INFECTIOUS DISEASE LITERATURE: GAP BETWEEN INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

The role and impact of infectious diseases in wildlife population dynamics are increasingly recognized, yet disease information is variably incorporated into wildlife management frameworks. This discrepancy is particularly relevant for Rangifer tarandus (caribou or reindeer), a keystone circumarctic species experiencing widespread population declines. The primary objective of this review was to characterize the available peer-reviewed literature on infectious diseases of Rangifer by using a scoping review methodology. Three databases of peer-reviewed literature-Web of Science, BIOSIS previews, and Scopus-were searched and 695 articles met the criteria for initial review. After screening for relevance and language, 349 articles, published between 1967 and 2020, remained. More than half of the excluded articles (181/346; 52%) were left out because they were not published in English; the majority of these excluded articles (120) were in Russian. From the 349 included articles, 137 (39%) pertained to wild (as opposed to semidomesticated or captive) Rangifer populations. Articles on infectious disease in wild Rangifer were published in 40 different journals across various disciplines; the most common journals were disease and parasitology oriented, accounting for 55% of included articles. Most studies were descriptive (87%), followed by experimental (9%). Of the pathogen taxa investigated, helminths were the most common, comprising 35% of articles. Rangifer subspecies were not equally represented in the literature, with barren-ground caribou (R. t. groenlandicus; n=40) and woodland caribou (R. t. caribou; n=39) having the greatest abundance and diversity of infectious disease information available. Few studies explicitly examined individual or population-level impacts of disease, or related disease to vital population rates, and only 27 articles explicitly related results to management or conservation. Findings from this review highlight an unbalanced distribution of studies across Rangifer ecotypes, a preference for dissemination in disease-specialized publication venues, and an opportunity for investigating population-level impacts that may be more readily integrated into caribou conservation frameworks.

Study on Bacteria Isolates and Antimicrobial Resistance in Wildlife in Sicily, Southern Italy

Wild environments and wildlife can be reservoirs of pathogens and antibiotic resistance. Various studies have reported the presence of zoonotic bacteria, resistant strains, and genetic elements that determine antibiotic resistance in wild animals, especially near urban centers or agricultural and zootechnical activities. The purpose of this study was the analysis, by cultural and molecular methods, of bacteria isolated from wild animals in Sicily, Italy, regarding their susceptibility profile to antibiotics and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes. Bacteriological analyses were conducted on 368 wild animals, leading to the isolation of 222 bacterial strains identified by biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. The most isolated species was Escherichia coli, followed by Clostridium perfringens and Citrobacter freundii. Antibiograms and the determination of resistance genes showed a reduced spread of bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance among wild animals in Sicily. However, since several wild animals are becoming increasingly close to residential areas, it is important to monitor their health status and to perform microbiological analyses following a One Health approach.

How to choose the best control strategy? Mathematical models as a tool for pre-intervention evaluation on a macroparasitic disease

During the last century, emerging diseases have increased in number, posing a severe threat for human health. Zoonoses, in particular, represent the 60% of emerging diseases, and are a big challenge for public health due to the complexity of their dynamics. Mathematical models, by allowing an a priori analysis of dynamic systems and the simulation of different scenarios at once, may represent an efficient tool for the determination of factors and phenomena involved in zoonotic infection cycles, but are often underexploited in public health. In this context, we developed a deterministic mathematical model to compare the efficacy of different intervention strategies aimed at reducing environmental contamination by macroparasites, using raccoons (Procyon lotor) and their zoonotic parasite Bayilsascaris procyonis as a model system. The three intervention strategies simulated are raccoon depopulation, anthelmintic treatment of raccoons and faeces removal. Our results show that all these strategies are able to eliminate the parasite egg population from the environment, but they are effective only above specific threshold coverages. Host removal and anthelmintic treatment showed the fastest results in eliminating the egg population, but anthelmintic treatment requires a higher effort to reach an effective result compared to host removal. Our simulations show that mathematical models can help to shed light on the dynamics of communicable infectious diseases, and give specific guidelines to contain B. procyonis environmental contamination in native, as well as in new, areas of parasite emergence. In particular, the present study highlights that identifying in advance the appropriate treatment coverage is fundamental to achieve the desired results, allowing for the implementation of cost- and time-effective intervention strategies.

Wild Micromammals as Bioindicators of Antibiotic Resistance in Ecopathology in Northern Italy

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to human health and an important issue also in the natural environment. For this study, an ecopathological approach was applied to the monitoring of the antimicrobial resistance in the province of Parma, Northern Italy. Fourteen monitoring sites and seventy-four faecal samples from four species of wild micromammals (Apodemus sylvaticus, Microtus savii, Mus domesticus and Suncus etruscus) were collected. Samples were subjected to bacteriological examination and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Antibiotics belonging to 13 different antibiotic classes were tested. Collected data showed a prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of 55.13% and significant differences in the prevalence of MDR strains among the different micromammal species, while sex, age and anthropization level did not significantly affected MDR strains prevalence. Moreover, a high prevalence of bacterial strains resistant to colistin (95%), gentamicin (87%) and amikacin (83%) was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report on antibiotic resistance in wild micromammals in the province of Parma.

Baylisascaris procyonis infection in raccoons: A review of demographic and environmental factors influencing parasite carriage

Baylisascaris procyonis, the roundworm of raccoons (Procyon lotor), is an emerging helminthic zoonosis in North America. Since the larval form is capable of causing neurological disease in more than 150 species of birds and mammals including humans, understanding factors that influence carriage of the parasite by raccoons is important for mitigating risk. This review examines the current literature to identify major demographic and environmental risk factors associated with B. procyonis carriage in wild raccoons. Raccoon age and season of sample collection were most commonly identified as risk factors, with increased prevalence found in juvenile animals and when sample collection occurred in the fall. Human urbanization and agricultural land use were also observed as potential risk factors; however, there are inconsistencies in the direction of influence these risk factors have on the prevalence of infection. Further investigation into the role of environmental risk factors is required to better understand how human activities influence parasite carriage in raccoons. Additionally, future research using multivariable statistical models guided by epidemiological principles to control for confounding variables and identify interaction effects will help clarify the effect of these demographic and environmental factors. Developing a better understanding of the primary risk factors for parasite carriage in raccoons will help identify areas of higher risk for environmental contamination and will aid in the development and refinement of education and management programs to reduce the risk of human exposure.

Animal welfare implications of treating wildlife in Australian veterinary practices

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the extent, costs, demands and expectations of Australian veterinary practices in the treatment of wildlife, to identify potential risks to animal welfare based on the current situation and to propose recommendations for improvements.

METHODS

A survey was sent to all veterinary practices across Australia identified through the website Yellow Pages®. The survey was designed as a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using an online self-completed questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS 19.0.

RESULTS

Of the 902 veterinary practices contacted, 132 (14.6%) completed the questionnaire. Most practices (82%) saw less than 10 wildlife patients per week, with birds and marsupials most commonly admitted. Vehicular trauma, trauma (other) and predation made up the majority (82%) of presentations. However, wildlife cases were only examined immediately upon presentation in 20% of practices, with 74% reporting they only attended to wildlife whenever they had spare time. The majority (90%) of veterinary practices never or rarely received reimbursement for their wildlife work, indicating most is performed pro bono. Several barriers to treatment were highlighted, including time and a lack of knowledge/skills.

CONCLUSION

Private veterinary practices play a more significant role in wildlife treatment than has been previously thought. The effect of perceived barriers on willingness to treat wildlife requires further research. Further investigation into educational resources to aid veterinary assessment of wildlife should also be considered.

Wildlife health investigations: needs, challenges and recommendations

In a fast changing world with growing concerns about biodiversity loss and an increasing number of animal and human diseases emerging from wildlife, the need for effective wildlife health investigations including both surveillance and research is now widely recognized. However, procedures applicable to and knowledge acquired from studies related to domestic animal and human health can be on partly extrapolated to wildlife. This article identifies requirements and challenges inherent in wildlife health investigations, reviews important definitions and novel health investigation methods, and proposes tools and strategies for effective wildlife health surveillance programs. Impediments to wildlife health investigations are largely related to zoological, behavioral and ecological characteristics of wildlife populations and to limited access to investigation materials. These concerns should not be viewed as insurmountable but it is imperative that they are considered in study design, data analysis and result interpretation. It is particularly crucial to remember that health surveillance does not begin in the laboratory but in the fields. In this context, participatory approaches and mutual respect are essential. Furthermore, interdisciplinarity and open minds are necessary because a wide range of tools and knowledge from different fields need to be integrated in wildlife health surveillance and research. The identification of factors contributing to disease emergence requires the comparison of health and ecological data over time and among geographical regions. Finally, there is a need for the development and validation of diagnostic tests for wildlife species and for data on free-ranging population densities. Training of health professionals in wildlife diseases should also be improved. Overall, the article particularly emphasizes five needs of wildlife health investigations: communication and collaboration; use of synergies and triangulation approaches; investments for the long term; systematic collection of metadata; and harmonization of definitions and methods.

Adrenal activity in maned wolves is higher on farmlands and park boundaries than within protected areas

In this study we measured excreted fecal corticoid metabolites (FCM) in maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) living within a protected reserve, on farmlands or in a boundary zone between the two habitats, and determined the impacts of season and reproductive status on adrenal activity. Feces were collected within a national park (n=191 samples), a park boundary zone (n=39) and on nearby farmlands (n=27), processed and analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. FCM amounts from samples collected on farmlands were higher (P<0.05) than in those collected inside the reserve and from the boundary zone. In relation to seasonality, FCM were elevated (P<0.05) in spring (September-November) when wolf pairs were raising young. We then divided the samples collected during breeding season (March-August) into cycling females and male/non-cycling females based on fecal progesterone: fecal testosterone ratio. FCM concentrations of the former collected inside the park were higher than (P<0.05) than the latter group. However, there were no differences in FCM levels between the two groups for samples collected in the boundary zone and on farmlands. Furthermore, FCM concentrations of male/non-cycling females samples collected on farmlands were 2- to 5-fold higher (P<0.05) than in counterparts collected inside the park. The consistently high FCM concentrations in samples collected on farmlands indicate that, in addition to seasonality, gender and reproductive status, anthropogenic pressures also contribute to elevating adrenal steroid for individuals living in altered habitat.

Studies on the breeding habitats of the vector mosquito Anopheles baimai and its relationship to malaria incidence in Northeastern region of India. Breeding habitats of Anopheles baimai and its role in incidence of malaria in Northeastern region of India

Entomological survey was conducted to know the breeding habitat preference of the forest breeder malaria vector Anopheles baimaii, known earlier as An. dirus species D in the northeastern region of India. Breeding potential of the vector in forest areas was found to be high in water stored in jungle pool (69.84%) followed by elephant footprints with clear water (39.13%) and with turbid water (26.19%), whereas in forest fringe areas, the vector breeding was more prominent in elephant footprints: 65.11% in clear water and 62.5% in turbid water. Although other habitats had shown only low breeding of the vector, all types of habitats were positively correlated with malaria occurrence. Cattle hoof marks (r = 0.998) and elephant footprint (turbid; r = 0.999) explained nearly the same amount of variance. It was observed that deforestation as well as elephant habitat-type destruction had engendered man-elephant conflicts intensively in fringe areas. Seasonal abundance pattern of this vector was found to vary in forest and forest fringe areas in relation to different habitats. Seasonal abundance of An. baimaii was significantly different in different habitats. The Tukey post hoc comparisons indicated that the abundance of An. baimaii in different habitats was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in monsoon season than that of premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. No significant difference was observed between premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. The findings therefore will eventually help to predict transmission of malaria in targeted area and in formulating an improved malaria control program in the northeastern region of India.

Management of infectious wildlife diseases: bridging conventional and bioeconomic approaches

The primary goal of disease ecology is to understand disease systems and then use this information to inform management. The purpose of this paper is to show that conventional disease ecology models are limited in their ability to inform management of systems that are already infected, and to show how such models can be integrated with economic decision models to improve upon management recommendations. Management strategies based solely on disease ecology entail managing infected host populations or reservoir populations below a threshold value based on R0, the basic reproductive ratio of the pathogen, or a multiple-host version of this metric. These metrics measure a pathogen's ability to invade uninfected systems and do not account for postinfection dynamics. Once a pathogen has invaded a population, alternative management criteria are needed. Bioeconomic modeling offers a useful alternative approach to developing management criteria and facilitates the consideration of ecological-economic trade-offs so that diseases are managed in a cost-effective manner. The threshold concept takes on a more profound role under a bioeconomic paradigm: rather than unilaterally determining disease control choices, thresholds inform control choices and are influenced by them.