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Taylor RS, Manseau M, Keobouasone S, Liu P, Mastromonaco G, Solmundson K, Kelly A, Larter NC, Gamberg M, Schwantje H, Thacker C, Polfus J, Andrew L, Hervieux D, Simmons D, Wilson PJ. High genetic load without purging in caribou, a diverse species at risk. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1234-1246.e7. [PMID: 38417444 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
High intra-specific genetic diversity is associated with adaptive potential, which is key for resilience to global change. However, high variation may also support deleterious alleles through genetic load, thereby increasing the risk of inbreeding depression if population sizes decrease. Purging of deleterious variation has been demonstrated in some threatened species. However, less is known about the costs of declines and inbreeding in species with large population sizes and high genetic diversity even though this encompasses many species globally that are expected to undergo population declines. Caribou is a species of ecological and cultural significance in North America with a wide distribution supporting extensive phenotypic variation but with some populations undergoing significant declines resulting in their at-risk status in Canada. We assessed intra-specific genetic variation, adaptive divergence, inbreeding, and genetic load across populations with different demographic histories using an annotated chromosome-scale reference genome and 66 whole-genome sequences. We found high genetic diversity and nine phylogenomic lineages across the continent with adaptive diversification of genes, but also high genetic load among lineages. We found highly divergent levels of inbreeding across individuals, including the loss of alleles by drift but not increased purging in inbred individuals, which had more homozygous deleterious alleles. We also found comparable frequencies of homozygous deleterious alleles between lineages regardless of nucleotide diversity. Thus, further inbreeding may need to be mitigated through conservation efforts. Our results highlight the "double-edged sword" of genetic diversity that may be representative of other species atrisk affected by anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Taylor
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Micheline Manseau
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Sonesinh Keobouasone
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Peng Liu
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Kirsten Solmundson
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Allicia Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, PO Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, PO Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Mary Gamberg
- Gamberg Consulting, Jarvis Street, Whitehorse, YK Y1A 2J2, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada
| | - Caeley Thacker
- British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada
| | - Jean Polfus
- Canadian Wildlife Service - Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9, Canada
| | - Leon Andrew
- Ɂehdzo Got'ı̨nę Gots'ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), P.O. Box 134, Tulít'a, NT X0E 0K0, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, 10320-99 Street, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Deborah Simmons
- Ɂehdzo Got'ı̨nę Gots'ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), P.O. Box 134, Tulít'a, NT X0E 0K0, Canada
| | - Paul J Wilson
- Biology Department, Trent University, East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
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Lorch JM, Winzeler ME, Lankton JS, Raverty S, Snyman HN, Schwantje H, Thacker C, Knowles S, Cai HY, Grear DA. Paranannizziopsis spp. infections in wild snakes and a qPCR assay for detection of the fungus. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1302586. [PMID: 38125577 PMCID: PMC10730940 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1302586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of ophidiomycosis (or snake fungal disease) in snakes has prompted increased awareness of the potential effects of fungal infections on wild reptile populations. Yet, aside from Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, little is known about other mycoses affecting wild reptiles. The closely related genus Paranannizziopsis has been associated with dermatomycosis in snakes and tuataras in captive collections, and P. australasiensis was recently identified as the cause of skin infections in non-native wild panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) in Florida, USA. Here we describe five cases of Paranannizziopsis spp. associated with skin lesions in wild snakes in North America and one additional case from a captive snake from Connecticut, USA. In addition to demonstrating that wild Nearctic snakes can serve as a host for these fungi, we also provide evidence that the genus Paranannizziopsis is widespread in wild snakes, with cases being identified in Louisiana (USA), Minnesota (USA), Virginia (USA), and British Columbia (Canada). Phylogenetic analyses conducted on multiple loci of the fungal strains we isolated identified P. australasiensis in Louisiana and Virginia; the remaining strains from Minnesota and British Columbia did not cluster with any of the described species of Paranannizziopsis, although the strains from British Columbia appear to represent a single lineage. Finally, we designed a pan-Paranannizziopsis real-time PCR assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer region 2. This assay successfully detected DNA of all described species of Paranannizziopsis and the two potentially novel taxa isolated in this study and did not cross-react with closely related fungi or other fungi commonly found on the skin of snakes. The assay was 100% sensitive and specific when screening clinical (skin tissue or skin swab) samples, although full determination of the assay's performance will require additional follow up due to the small number of clinical samples (n = 14 from 11 snakes) available for testing in our study. Nonetheless, the PCR assay can provide an important tool in further investigating the prevalence, distribution, and host range of Paranannizziopsis spp. and facilitate more rapid diagnosis of Paranannizziopsis spp. infections that are otherwise difficult to differentiate from other dermatomycoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Megan E. Winzeler
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Julia S. Lankton
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Stephen Raverty
- Animal Health Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - Heindrich N. Snyman
- Animal Health Laboratory – Kemptville, University of Guelph, Kemptville, ON, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Caeley Thacker
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Susan Knowles
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hugh Y. Cai
- Animal Health Laboratory, Laboratory Services Division, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
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Cavedon M, Neufeld L, Finnegan L, Hervieux D, Michalak A, Pelletier A, Polfus J, Schwantje H, Skinner G, Steenweg R, Thacker C, Poissant J, Musiani M. Genomics of founders for conservation breeding: the Jasper caribou case. CONSERV GENET 2023; 24:855-867. [PMID: 37969360 PMCID: PMC10638200 DOI: 10.1007/s10592-023-01540-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Conservation breeding programs are increasingly used as recovery actions for wild animals; bringing founders into captivity to rear captive populations for future reintroduction into the wild. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recommends that founders should come from genetically close populations and should have sufficient genetic diversity to avoid mating among relatives. Genomic data are highly informative for evaluating founders due to their high resolution and ability to capture adaptive divergence, yet, their application in that context remains limited. Woodland caribou are federally listed as a Species at Risk in Canada, with several populations facing extirpation, such as those in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia (BC). To prevent local extirpation, Jasper National Park (JNP) is proposing a conservation breeding program. We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms for 144 caribou from 11 populations encompassing a 200,0002 km area surrounding JNP to provide information useful for identifying appropriate founders for this program. We found that this area likely hosts a caribou metapopulation historically characterized by high levels of gene flow, which indicates that multiple sources of founders would be appropriate for initiating a breeding program. However, population structure and adaptive divergence analyses indicate that JNP caribou are closest to populations in the BC Columbia range, which also have suitable genetic diversity for conservation breeding. We suggest that collaboration among jurisdictions would be beneficial to implement the program to promote recovery of JNP caribou and possibly other caribou populations in the surrounding area, which is strategically at the periphery of the distribution of this endangered species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10592-023-01540-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Deparment of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Lalenia Neufeld
- Jasper National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Jasper, Canada
| | - Laura Finnegan
- fRI Research, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, AB T7V 1V3 Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6J4 Canada
| | - Anita Michalak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Agnes Pelletier
- Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Northeast Region, 400-10003-110Th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7 Canada
| | - Jean Polfus
- Canadian Wildlife Service – Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Ave, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9 Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J 9 Canada
| | - Geoff Skinner
- Jasper National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Jasper, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Canadian Wildlife Service – Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Ave, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9 Canada
| | - Caeley Thacker
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J 9 Canada
| | - Jocelyn Poissant
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dipartimento Scienze Biologiche Geologiche Ambientali, Università Di Bologna, Via Zamboni, 33 - 40126 Bologna, Italia
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Buhler KJ, Dibernardo A, Pilfold NW, Harms NJ, Fenton H, Carriere S, Kelly A, Schwantje H, Aguilar XF, Leclerc LM, Gouin GG, Lunn NJ, Richardson ES, McGeachy D, Bouchard É, Ortiz AH, Samelius G, Lindsay LR, Drebot MA, Gaffney P, Leighton P, Alisauskas R, Jenkins E. Widespread Exposure to Mosquitoborne California Serogroup Viruses in Caribou, Arctic Fox, Red Fox, and Polar Bears, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:54-63. [PMID: 36573538 PMCID: PMC9796188 DOI: 10.3201/eid2901.220154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Northern Canada is warming at 3 times the global rate. Thus, changing diversity and distribution of vectors and pathogens is an increasing health concern. California serogroup (CSG) viruses are mosquitoborne arboviruses; wildlife reservoirs in northern ecosystems have not been identified. We detected CSG virus antibodies in 63% (95% CI 58%-67%) of caribou (n = 517), 4% (95% CI 2%-7%) of Arctic foxes (n = 297), 12% (95% CI 6%-21%) of red foxes (n = 77), and 28% (95% CI 24%-33%) of polar bears (n = 377). Sex, age, and summer temperatures were positively associated with polar bear exposure; location, year, and ecotype were associated with caribou exposure. Exposure was highest in boreal caribou and increased from baseline in polar bears after warmer summers. CSG virus exposure of wildlife is linked to climate change in northern Canada and sustained surveillance could be used to measure human health risks.
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Theoret J, Cavedon M, Hegel T, Hervieux D, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Seasonal movements in caribou ecotypes of Western Canada. Mov Ecol 2022; 10:12. [PMID: 35272704 PMCID: PMC8908644 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several migratory ungulates, including caribou, are dramatically declining. Caribou of the Barren-ground ecotype, which forms its own subspecies, are known to be mainly migratory. By contrast, within the Woodland subspecies, animals of the Boreal ecotype are known to be mainly sedentary, while those within the Northern and Central Mountain ecotypes to be partially migratory, with only some individuals migrating. Promotion of conservation actions (e.g., habitat protection) that are specific to both residents and migrants, as well as to the areas they frequent seasonally (which may be separate for migrants), requires distinguishing migration from other movement behaviours, which might be a challenge. METHODS We aimed at assessing seasonal movement behaviours, including migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic, for caribou belonging to the Barren-ground and Woodland subspecies and ecotypes. We examined seasonal displacement, both planar and altitudinal, and seasonal ranges overlap for 366 individuals that were GPS-collared in Northern and Western Canada. Lastly, we assessed the ability of caribou individuals to switch between migratory and non-migratory movement behaviours between years. RESULTS We detected migratory behaviour within each of the studied subspecies and ecotypes. However, seasonal ranges overlap (an index of sedentary behaviour) varied, with proportions of clear migrants (0 overlap) of 40.94% for Barren-ground caribou and 23.34% for Woodland caribou, and of 32.95%, 54.87%, and 8.86% for its Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Boreal ecotype, respectively. Plastic switches of individuals were also detected between migratory, resident, dispersing, and nomadic seasonal movements performed across years. CONCLUSIONS Our unexpected findings of marked seasonal movement plasticity in caribou indicate that this phenomenon should be better studied to understand the resilience of this endangered species to habitat and climatic changes. Our results that a substantial proportion of individuals engaged in seasonal migration in all studied ecotypes indicate that caribou conservation plans should account for critical habitat in both summer and winter ranges. Accordingly, conservation strategies are being devised for the Woodland subspecies and its ecotypes, which were found to be at least partially migratory in this study. Our findings that migration is detectable with both planar and altitudinal analyses of seasonal displacement provide a tool to better define seasonal ranges, also in mountainous and hilly environments, and protect habitat there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2X3, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Watters M, Musiani M. Selection of both habitat and genes in specialized and endangered caribou. Conserv Biol 2022; 36. [PMID: 35146809 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetic mechanisms determining habitat selection and specialization of individuals within species have been hypothesized, but not tested at the appropriate individual level in nature. In this work, we analyzed habitat selection for 139 GPS-collared caribou belonging to three declining ecotypes sampled throughout Northwestern Canada. We used Resource Selection Functions (RSFs) comparing resources at used and available locations. We found that the three caribou ecotypes differed in their use of habitat suggesting specialization. On expected grounds, we also found differences in habitat selection between summer and winter, but also, originally, among the individuals within an ecotype. We next obtained Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for the same caribou individuals, we detected those associated to habitat selection, and then identified genes linked to these SNPs. These genes had functions related in other organisms to habitat and dietary specializations, and climatic adaptations. We therefore suggest that individual variation in habitat selection was based on genotypic variation in the SNPs of individual caribou, indicating that genetic forces underlie habitat and diet selection in the species. We also suggest that the associations between habitat and genes that we detected may lead to lack of resilience in the species, thus contributing to caribou endangerment. Our work emphasizes that similar mechanisms may exist for other specialized, endangered species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Montana, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2C6, Canada
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, 4999 98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2×3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-2016, USA
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J 9, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, 300 - 10003 110th Avenue Fort, St. John, BC, V1J 6M7, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Theoret J, Watters M, Musiani M. Genomic legacy of migration in endangered caribou. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009974. [PMID: 35143486 PMCID: PMC8830729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wide-ranging animals, including migratory species, are significantly threatened by the effects of habitat fragmentation and habitat loss. In the case of terrestrial mammals, this results in nearly a quarter of species being at risk of extinction. Caribou are one such example of a wide-ranging, migratory, terrestrial, and endangered mammal. In populations of caribou, the proportion of individuals considered as "migrants" can vary dramatically. There is therefore a possibility that, under the condition that migratory behavior is genetically determined, those individuals or populations that are migratory will be further impacted by humans, and this impact could result in the permanent loss of the migratory trait in some populations. However, genetic determination of migration has not previously been studied in an endangered terrestrial mammal. We examined migratory behavior of 139 GPS-collared endangered caribou in western North America and carried out genomic scans for the same individuals. Here we determine a genetic subdivision of caribou into a Northern and a Southern genetic cluster. We also detect >50 SNPs associated with migratory behavior, which are in genes with hypothesized roles in determining migration in other organisms. Furthermore, we determine that propensity to migrate depends upon the proportion of ancestry in individual caribou, and thus on the evolutionary history of its migratory and sedentary subspecies. If, as we report, migratory behavior is influenced by genes, caribou could be further impacted by the loss of the migratory trait in some isolated populations already at low numbers. Our results indicating an ancestral genetic component also suggest that the migratory trait and their associated genetic mutations could not be easily re-established when lost in a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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8
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Taylor RS, Manseau M, Klütsch CFC, Polfus JL, Steedman A, Hervieux D, Kelly A, Larter NC, Gamberg M, Schwantje H, Wilson PJ. Population dynamics of caribou shaped by glacial cycles before the last glacial maximum. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6121-6143. [PMID: 34482596 PMCID: PMC9293238 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Pleistocene glacial cycles influenced the diversification of high‐latitude wildlife species through recurrent periods of range contraction, isolation, divergence, and expansion from refugia and subsequent admixture of refugial populations. We investigate population size changes and the introgressive history of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in western Canada using 33 whole genome sequences coupled with larger‐scale mitochondrial data. We found that a major population expansion of caribou occurred starting around 110,000 years ago (kya), the start of the last glacial period. Additionally, we found effective population sizes of some caribou reaching ~700,000 to 1,000,000 individuals, one of the highest recorded historical effective population sizes for any mammal species thus far. Mitochondrial analyses dated introgression events prior to the LGM dating to 20–30 kya and even more ancient at 60 kya, coinciding with colder periods with extensive ice coverage, further demonstrating the importance of glacial cycles and events prior to the LGM in shaping demographic history. Reconstructing the origins and differential introgressive history has implications for predictions on species responses under climate change. Our results have implications for other whole genome analyses using pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent (PSMC) analyses, as well as highlighting the need to investigate pre‐LGM demographic patterns to fully reconstruct the origin of species diversity, especially for high‐latitude species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Taylor
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Micheline Manseau
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.,Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jean L Polfus
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Audrey Steedman
- Parks Canada, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Department of Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Allicia Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | | | - Helen Schwantje
- BC Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul J Wilson
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Ambagala A, Schwantje H, Laurendeau S, Snyman H, Joseph T, Pickering B, Hooper-McGrevy K, Babiuk S, Moffat E, Lamboo L, Lung O, Goolia M, Pinette M, Embury-Hyatt C. Incursions of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 in Canada-Clinical, molecular and epidemiological investigation. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 68:1711-1720. [PMID: 33915034 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a newly emerging Lagovirus belonging to the family Caliciviridae. After its first discovery in 2010 in France, this highly pathogenic virus rapidly spread to neighbouring countries and has become the dominant strain, replacing the classical RHDV strains. RHDV2 was first reported in North America in 2016 in Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada, and it was reported again in 2018 and 2019 on Vancouver Island and the southwest mainland of British Columbia (BC). The whole genome sequence of the RHDV2 Quebec isolate resembled the 2011 RHDV2-N11 isolate from Navarra, Spain with 97% identity at the nucleotide level. The epidemiological investigation related to this outbreak involved three hobby farms and one personal residence in Quebec. In February 2018, high mortality was reported in a large colony of feral rabbits on the Vancouver Island University Campus, Nanaimo, BC. The virus identified showed only 93% identity to the Quebec RHDV2 isolate at the nucleotide level. Additional cases of RHDV2 on Vancouver Island and on the BC mainland affecting feral and captive domestic, and commercial rabbits were reported subsequently. Vaccination was recommended to control the outbreak and an inactivated bivalent vaccine was made available to the private veterinary practices. In June 2019, an isolated RHDV2 outbreak was reported in pet rabbits in an apartment building in Vancouver, BC. This virus showed only 97% identity to the RHDV2 isolates responsible for the BC outbreak in 2018 at the nucleotide level, suggesting that it was an independent incursion. The outbreak in BC killed a large number of feral European rabbits; however, there were no confirmed cases of RHD in native rabbit species in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruna Ambagala
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Sonja Laurendeau
- Animal Health-Traceability and Terrestrial Animal Disease Control, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Heindrich Snyman
- Animal Health Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - Tomy Joseph
- Animal Health Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - Bradley Pickering
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kathleen Hooper-McGrevy
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Shawn Babiuk
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Estella Moffat
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Lindsey Lamboo
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Oliver Lung
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Melissa Goolia
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Mathieu Pinette
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Carissa Embury-Hyatt
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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10
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Canuti M, Todd M, Monteiro P, Van Osch K, Weir R, Schwantje H, Britton AP, Lang AS. Ecology and Infection Dynamics of Multi-Host Amdoparvoviral and Protoparvoviral Carnivore Pathogens. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9020124. [PMID: 32075256 PMCID: PMC7168296 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amdoparvovirus and Protoparvovirus are monophyletic viral genera that infect carnivores. We performed surveillance for and sequence analyses of parvoviruses in mustelids in insular British Columbia to investigate parvoviral maintenance and cross-species transmission among wildlife. Overall, 19.1% (49/256) of the tested animals were parvovirus-positive. Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) was more prevalent in mink (41.6%, 32/77) than martens (3.1%, 4/130), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) was more prevalent in otters (27.3%, 6/22) than mink (5.2%, 4/77) or martens (2.3%, 3/130), and canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) was found in one mink, one otter, and zero ermines (N = 27). Viruses were endemic and bottleneck events, founder effects, and genetic drift generated regional lineages. We identified two local closely related AMDV lineages, one CPV-2 lineage, and five FPV lineages. Highly similar viruses were identified in different hosts, demonstrating cross-species transmission. The likelihood for cross-species transmission differed among viruses and some species likely represented dead-end spillover hosts. We suggest that there are principal maintenance hosts (otters for FPV, raccoons for CPV-2/FPV, mink for AMDV) that enable viral persistence and serve as sources for other susceptible species. In this multi-host system, viral and host factors affect viral persistence and distribution, shaping parvoviral ecology and evolution, with implications for insular carnivore conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Canuti
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave., St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (A.S.L.); Tel.: +1-709-864-8761 (M.C.); +1-709-864-7517 (A.S.L.)
| | - Melissa Todd
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Coast Area Research Section, Suite 103-2100 Labieux Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada; (M.T.); (P.M.); (K.V.O.)
| | - Paige Monteiro
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Coast Area Research Section, Suite 103-2100 Labieux Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada; (M.T.); (P.M.); (K.V.O.)
| | - Kalia Van Osch
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Coast Area Research Section, Suite 103-2100 Labieux Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada; (M.T.); (P.M.); (K.V.O.)
| | - Richard Weir
- British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, PO Box 9338 STN Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9M2, Canada;
| | - Helen Schwantje
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Wildlife Health Program, Wildlife and Habitat Branch, 2080 Labieux Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9, Canada;
| | - Ann P. Britton
- Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Rd., Abbotsford, BC V3G 2M3, Canada;
| | - Andrew S. Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave., St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (A.S.L.); Tel.: +1-709-864-8761 (M.C.); +1-709-864-7517 (A.S.L.)
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11
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Britton AP, Bidulka J, Scouras A, Schwantje H, Joseph T. Fatal hepatic sarcocystosis in a free-ranging grizzly bear cub associated with Sarcocystis canis-like infection. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019; 31:303-306. [PMID: 30698508 DOI: 10.1177/1040638719826627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe herein fatal hepatic sarcocystosis in a free-ranging grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis) cub with apicomplexan infection of the liver and brain, both demonstrating 100% homology for Sarcocystis canis and S. arctosi. Fatal hepatic sarcocystosis in dogs has been etiologically associated with intrahepatic schizonts of S. canis. In black and polar bears, a S. canis-like organism produces schizonts in the liver and massive hepatic necrosis. Although intramuscular sarcocysts, taxa S. arctosi and S. ursusi, have been described in healthy brown and black bears, respectively, they have not been detected in bears with hepatic sarcocystosis, to our knowledge, and it is currently unknown whether bears represent an aberrant or intermediate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann P Britton
- Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (Britton, Bidulka, Scouras, Joseph).,Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Schwantje)
| | - Julie Bidulka
- Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (Britton, Bidulka, Scouras, Joseph).,Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Schwantje)
| | - Andrea Scouras
- Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (Britton, Bidulka, Scouras, Joseph).,Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Schwantje)
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (Britton, Bidulka, Scouras, Joseph).,Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Schwantje)
| | - Tomy Joseph
- Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (Britton, Bidulka, Scouras, Joseph).,Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Schwantje)
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12
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Britton AP, Trapp M, Sabaiduc S, Hsiao W, Joseph T, Schwantje H. Probable reverse zoonosis of influenza A(H1N1)pdm 09 in a striped skunk (
Mephitis mephitis
). Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 66:422-427. [DOI: 10.1111/zph.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ann P. Britton
- Animal Health Centre BC Ministry of Agriculture Abbotsford British Columbia Canada
| | - Melissa Trapp
- Animal Health Centre BC Ministry of Agriculture Abbotsford British Columbia Canada
| | - Suzana Sabaiduc
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - William Hsiao
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Tomy Joseph
- Animal Health Centre BC Ministry of Agriculture Abbotsford British Columbia Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Nanaimo British Columbia Canada
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13
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Catalano S, Lejeune M, Tizzani P, Verocai G, Schwantje H, Nelson C, Duignan P. Helminths of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Between May 2011 and June 2013, we collected the carcasses and gastrointestinal tracts of 40 American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) and 13 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) from populations of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Specimens were examined for helminths, which were identified to the species level by applying an integrated morphological and molecular approach. Our goal was to investigate parasite biodiversity and infection parameters in the sampled grizzly and black bears. We found seven parasite taxa: Dirofilaria ursi Yamaguti, 1941, Baylisascaris transfuga (Rudolphi, 1819), Uncinaria rauschi Olsen, 1968, Uncinaria yukonensis (Wolfgang, 1956), Taenia arctos Haukisalmi, Lavikainen, Laaksonen and Meri, 2011, Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitzsch, 1824), and Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense Yamane, Kamo, Bylund and Wikgren, 1986. The statistical significance of infection prevalence, intensity, and abundance for each helminth species was assessed relative to host species, gender, age class, sampling season, and location. This is the first unequivocal report of the potentially zoonotic tapeworms D. dendriticum and D. nihonkaiense in North American bears. Furthermore, we provide insight into the biology and ecology of the nematodes B. transfuga, D. ursi, and species of Uncinaria Frölich, 1789, and enrich the information available on the recently described tapeworm T. arctos.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Catalano
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - M. Lejeune
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Alberta, 3280 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - P. Tizzani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, TO 10095, Italy
| | - G.G. Verocai
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - H. Schwantje
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, 2080A Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - C. Nelson
- British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, 2080A Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9, Canada
| | - P.J. Duignan
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Alberta, 3280 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
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14
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Britton AP, Redford T, Bidulka JJ, Scouras AP, Sojonky KR, Zabek E, Schwantje H, Joseph T. Beyond Rabies: Are Free-Ranging Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in British Columbia Reservoirs of Emerging Infection? Transbound Emerg Dis 2015; 64:603-612. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. P. Britton
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
| | - T. Redford
- Department of Veterinary Pathology; Western College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - J. J. Bidulka
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
| | - A. P. Scouras
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
| | - K. R. Sojonky
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
| | - E. Zabek
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
| | - H. Schwantje
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources; Nanaimo BC Canada
| | - T. Joseph
- Animal Health Centre; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Abbotsford BC Canada
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15
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Gesy K, Pawlik M, Kapronczai L, Wagner B, Elkin B, Schwantje H, Jenkins E. An improved method for the extraction and quantification of adult Echinococcus from wildlife definitive hosts. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:2075-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Gaydos JK, Miller WA, Gilardi KVK, Melli A, Schwantje H, Engelstoft C, Fritz H, Conrad PA. Cryptosporidium and Giardia in marine-foraging river otters (Lontra canadensis) from the Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem. J Parasitol 2007; 93:198-202. [PMID: 17436965 DOI: 10.1645/ge-928r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Species of Cryptosporidium and Giardia can infect humans and wildlife and have the potential to be transmitted between these 2 groups; yet, very little is known about these protozoans in marine wildlife. Feces of river otters (Lontra canadensis), a common marine wildlife species in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin, were examined for species of Cryptosporidium and Giardia to determine their role in the epidemiology of these pathogens. Using ZnSO4 flotation and immunomagnetic separation, followed by direct immunofluorescent antibody detection (IMS/DFA), we identified Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts in 9 fecal samples from 6 locations and Giardia sp. cysts in 11 fecal samples from 7 locations. The putative risk factors of proximate human population and degree of anthropogenic shoreline modification were not associated with the detection of Cryptosporidium or Giardia spp. in river otter feces. Amplification of DNA from the IMS/DFA slide scrapings was successful for 1 sample containing > 500 Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts. Sequences from the Cryptosporidium 18S rRNA and the COWP loci were most similar to the ferret Cryptosporidium sp. genotype. River otters could serve as reservoirs for Cryptosporidium and Giardia species in marine ecosystems. More work is needed to better understand the zoonotic potential of the genotypes they carry as well as their implications for river otter health.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Gaydos
- Orcas Island Office, University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center, 1016 Deer Harbor Road, Eastsound, Washington 98245, USA.
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17
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Abstract
Although Cryptococcus gattii has emerged as an important pathogen of humans and domestic animals on Vancouver Island, Canada since 1999; its distribution in regional wildlife species is largely unknown. Opportunistic sampling methods were employed to obtain nasal swabs for fungal culture from wild mammal species residing within the coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone on the southeast coast of the island. Samples were collected from 91 animals representing 14 species. Cryptococcus gattii was isolated from the nasal swabs of two eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) trapped in Duncan, British Columbia. The relative proportion of nasal colonization in wild mammal species is consistent with findings in domestic animals, suggesting that animals may be good indicators of environmental organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Duncan
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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18
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Abstract
The thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli ssp.) provides a rare example of a North American large mammal that occupies most of its native range and maintains close to ancestral population size. There are currently two recognized subspecies, Dall's sheep (O. d. dalli) and Stone's sheep (O. d. stonei), the validity of which remains uncertain. We investigated the spatial genetic structure of thinhorn sheep populations representing both subspecies by genotyping individuals (n = 919) from across the species range at 12 variable microsatellite loci. We found high levels of genetic diversity within (HE = 0.722) and significant genetic structure among the 24 sampled areas (FST = 0.160). Genetic distance measures and Bayesian clustering analyses revealed the presence of at least eight subpopulations that are delineated by mountain range topology. A strong overall pattern of isolation-by-distance is evident across the sampling range (r = 0.75, P < 0.001) suggesting limited dispersal and extensive philopatry. Partial Mantel tests of this relationship showed mountain range distinctions represent significant barriers to gene flow (P = 0.0001), supporting the Bayesian analyses. Genetic structure was more strongly pronounced in southern Yukon and Alaska than elsewhere. We also show evidence for genetic differences between the two currently recognized thinhorn subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Worley
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TN, UK.
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19
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Philippa JDW, Leighton FA, Daoust PY, Nielsen O, Pagliarulo M, Schwantje H, Shury T, Van Herwijnen R, Martina BEE, Kuiken T, Van de Bildt MWG, Osterhaus ADME. Antibodies to selected pathogens in free-ranging terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals in Canada. Vet Rec 2004; 155:135-40. [PMID: 15338705 DOI: 10.1136/vr.155.5.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Antibody titres to selected pathogens (canine adenovirus [CAV-2], feline herpesvirus [FHV], phocine herpesvirus [PHV-1], canine distemper virus, dolphin morbillivirus [DMV], phocine distemper virus [PDV], parainfluenza virus type 3 [PI3], rabies virus, dolphin rhabdovirus [DRV], canine coronavirus, feline coronavirus, feline leukaemia virus, Borrelia burgdorferi and Toxoplasma gondii) were determined in whole blood or serum samples from selected free-ranging terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals, including cougars (Fellis concolor), lynxes (Fellis lynx), American badgers (Taxidea taxus), fishers (Martes pennanti), wolverines (Gulo gulo), wolves (Canis lupus), black bears (Ursus americanus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) and belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), which had been collected at several locations in Canada between 1984 and 2001. Antibodies to a number of viruses were detected in species in which these infections have not been reported before, for example, antibodies to CAV-2 in walruses, to PDV in black bears, grizzly bears, polar bears, lynxes and wolves, to DMV in grizzly bears, polar bears, walruses and wolves, to PI3 in black bears and fishers, and to DRV in belugas and walruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D W Philippa
- Institute of Virology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Aramini JJ, Stephen C, Dubey JP, Engelstoft C, Schwantje H, Ribble CS. Potential contamination of drinking water with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Epidemiol Infect 1999; 122:305-15. [PMID: 10355797 PMCID: PMC2809621 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268899002113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The world's first documented toxoplasmosis outbreak associated with a municipal water supply was recognized in 1995 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was hypothesized that domestic cat (Felis catus) or cougar (Felis concolor) faeces contaminated a surface water reservoir with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. An extensive investigation of the Victoria watershed 1 year following the outbreak documented the presence of an endemic T. gondii cycle involving the animals inhabiting the area. Cats and cougars were observed throughout the watershed. Serological evidence of T. gondii infection was demonstrated among domestic cats living in the Victoria area. Cougars were found to shed T. gondii oocysts. Serological evidence of T. gondii infection in deer mice living in the riparian environments of the watershed suggested that T. gondii oocysts were being shed near the water edge. Contamination of Victoria's water supply with T. gondii oocysts potentially occurred during the study period and future waterborne toxoplasmosis outbreaks in this and other communities are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Aramini
- Department of Herd Medicine and Theriogenology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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21
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Stephen C, Haines D, Bollinger T, Atkinson K, Schwantje H. Serological evidence of toxoplasma infection in cougars on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Can Vet J 1996; 37:241. [PMID: 8801024 PMCID: PMC1576363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C Stephen
- Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
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