Search

Hepatozoon parasites comprise intracellular apicomplexan parasites transmitted to vertebrate animals by ingestion of arthropods definitive hosts. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp. in wild animals, domestic dogs and their respective ectoparasites, in southern Pantanal region, central-western Brazil, by molecular techniques. Between August 2013 and March 2015, 31 coatis ( Nasua nasua ), 78 crab-eating foxes ( Cerdocyon thous ), seven ocelots ( Leopardus pardalis ), 42 dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ), 110 wild rodents (77 Thichomys fosteri, 25 Oecomys mamorae, and 8 Clyomys laticeps ), 30 marsupials (14 Thylamys macrurus, 11 Gracilinanus agilis, 4 Monodelphis domestica and 1 Didelphis albiventris ), and 1582 ticks and 80 fleas collected from the sampled animals were investigated. DNA samples were submitted to PCR assays for Hepatozoon spp. targeting 18S rRNA gene. Purified amplicons were directly sequenced and submitted to phylogenetic analysis. A high prevalence of Hepatozoon among carnivores ( C. thous [91.02%], dogs [45.23%], N. nasua [41.9%] and L. pardalis [71.4%]) was found. However, ticks and fleas were negative to Hepatozoon PCR assays. By phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA sequences, Hepatozoon sequences amplified from crab-eating foxes, dogs, coatis and ocelots clustered with sequences of H. canis, H. americanum and H. felis. The closely related positioning of Hepatozoon sequences amplified from wild rodents and T. macrurus marsupial to Hepatozoon from reptiles and amphibians suggest a possible transmission of those Hepatozoon species between hosts by ectoparasites or by predation. Hepatozoon haplotypes found circulating in wild rodents seem to present a higher degree of polymorphism when compared to those found in other groups of animals. Although rodents seem not to participate as source of Hepatozoon infection to wild carnivores and domestic dogs, they may play an important role in the transmission of Hepatozoon to reptiles and amphibians in Pantanal biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In collared peccaries, the development of artificial insemination (AI) is scarce, requiring search for alternative methods for the evaluation of sperm fertilizing ability. Thus, the aims of this study were to estimate the binding capability of collared peccaries sperm, using swine oocytes and the egg perivitelline membrane, and to evaluate the prognostic value of sperm parameters on the in vitro interactions among sperm and heterologous substrates. Eleven ejaculates were collected by eletroejaculation and evaluated for viability and morphology by light microscopy, for functionality by hypo-osmotic swelling test, for plasma membrane integrity by epifluorescence microscopy, and for sperm motility by computerized analysis. Subsequently, for analysis of the in vitro interactions, sperm samples were cultured in an incubation medium with swine oocytes and egg perivitelline membrane for 18 h and 20 min, respectively, at 38.5 °C and humidified atmosphere. The sperm-oocyte interaction rate was 100% with sperm penetrating 19.8+ 5.5% of oocytes. The average values of bound sperm and penetrated sperm per oocyte were 39.4 + 4.6 and 2.5 + 0.7, respectively. Already for perivitelline membrane binding assay, all samples presented sperm bound (100%) with average of 140.6 ± 19.4 bound sperm (range 33.9–308.7). Moreover, positive correlations were observed for the number of sperm bound to swine oocytes and osmotic response (r = 68.5%; P = 0.02), membrane integrity (r = 65.1%; P = 0.03), and straightness (r = 66.5%; (P = 0.03), as weel as for the number of sperm bound to egg perivitelline membrane and sperm viability (r = 74.0%; P = 0.01), total motility (r = 63.6%; P = 0.04), and linearity (r = 70.5%; P = 0.02). Finally, a negative correlation among slow (r = −80.5%; P = 0.01) and static (r = −84.3%; P = 0.01) sperm with the egg perivitelline membrane was observed. In conclusion, swine oocytes and perivitelline membrane can be used as indicators for the functional evaluation of the binding capability of sperm derived from collared peccaries. These tests could be incorporated into the routine of semen technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 20 site have been selected in three provinces Sulaymaniya, Erbil and Duhok in kurdistan to study wild mammals with winter trip within Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) project concerned on other animals as will as mammals,which funded by Nature Iraq Organization. KBA team depended on mammals signs were left after them like Tracks, scats, and dens as well as animals have been pictured. The team recorded the occurrence of some mammals within studied area.

Among environmental impacts, fragmentation of habitat for agriculture and livestock has led to a distortion of the natural environment and increased rates of wildlife killed on roads. Weekly surveys of road-killed mammals were made along highway RS-135 (km 8-34) between May 2008 and May 2010. For each case, we recorded the species and location along the road. We collected 95 mammals belonging to 16 species and 12 families, with a frequency of 0.025 roadkills per kilometer. The most abundant species were Cerdocyon thous (22.11%), Nasua nasua (10.52%), Pseudalopex gymnocercus (9.47%) and Cavia aperea (7.37%), which together comprised 49.5% of the cases. This study contributed with information on roadkill of wild mammals in RS-135 of Rio Grande do Sul.

Outbreaks of Vaccinia virus (VACV) affecting cattle and humans have been reported in Brazil in the last 15 years, but the origin of outbreaks remains unknown. Although VACV DNA have been already detected in mice (Mus musculus), opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and dogs during VACV zoonotic outbreaks, no transmission to cattle or humans from any of these were reported during Brazilian outbreaks. In this work, we assessed the PCR positivity to VACV in blood samples of cows and other domestic mammals, wild rodents and other wild mammals, and humans from areas with or without VACV infection reports. Our results show the detection of VACV DNA in blood samples of cows, horse and opossums, raising important questions about VACV spread.

A survey to determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis in wild mammals in Portugal was conducted by testing samples from hunted animals and those found dead between 2009 and 2013. In this study, we investigated 2116 wild mammals. Post-mortem examinations were performed, and tissues were collected from wild mammals representing 8 families and 11 different species, with a total of 393 animals analysed. Cultures were performed, and acid-fast isolates were identified by PCR. Tissues were also screened for Mycobacterium bovis by directly extracting DNA and testing for the Mycobacterium bovis-specific sequences. Mycobacterium bovis prevalence was 26.9% (95% CI: 22.8-31.5%). Mycobacterium bovis was recorded in 106 of the 393 studied species: prevalence by species were 26.9% (95% CI: 16.8-40.2%) in red foxes, 20.0% (95% CI: 7.0-45.2%) in Egyptian mongooses, 21.4% (95% CI: 16.2-27.7%) in wild boar and 38.3% (95% CI: 29.9-47.4%) in red deer. Mycobacterium bovis infection was detected in six of eight taxonomic families. For some species, the small sample sizes obtained were a reflection of their restricted range and low abundance, making estimates of infection prevalence very difficult (1 beech marten of 4; 1 Eurasian otter of 3; 2 common genet of 3). Infection was not detected in European badgers, hedgehog, wild rabbits and hare. The results of this study confirm the presence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild carnivores in Portugal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira is the property of Colegio Brasileiro de Patologia Animal - CBPA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Based on a cave survey, we present the first substantiated data of two bat species from Iraq. Both Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) and Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus) were mentioned in the earlier literature, although none of them was accepted and listed by subsequent authors. We overview the controversial history of the Mediterranean and Mehely's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi) records, provide details of the diagnostic characters of vouchered specimens of the former species, and present photographic evidence of the presence of Geoffroy's bat. Both species are rare in the Middle East, and the territory of Iraq was a gap in their distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasites of the genus Spirometra belong to one of the twelve genera of the family Diphyllobothriidae, with several species of zoonotic importance whose definitive hosts are carnivorous mammals. In Argentina, few reports have described these parasites in wild carnivores. Morphological studies of the adult stage obtained from necropsy allow the distinction between Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra. A less invasive method of identification is the analysis of the parasite eggs; however, the morphometric similarities between close genera and species and alterations in egg preservation affect the identification. In Argentina, molecular tools have been used as a non-invasive and accurate method to increase the information about Spirometra and to improve its identification. In the present study, DNA was extracted from Spirometra eggs from Pampas foxes and a 450-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was sequenced. The sequence obtained, which is the first Spirometra DNA sequence from Argentina, was deposited at GenBank. Comparison by BLASTN analysis between the sequence obtained and the sequences from GenBank showed 93 % identity with S. proliferum and 89% with S. erinaceieuropaei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trypanosoma and Leishmania are obligate parasites that cause important diseases in human and domestic animals. Wild mammals are the natural reservoirs of these parasites, which are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods. The present study aimed to detect the natural occurrence of trypanosomatids through serological diagnosis, PCR of whole blood and blood culture (hemoculture), and phylogenetic relationships using small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA), cytochrome b, and glycosomal glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) genes. Samples from 131 wild animals, including rodents, marsupials, and bats, were sampled in six areas in the state of Maranhão, in a transition zone of semiarid climates northeast of the equatorial humid Amazon. Serological analysis for Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi was performed in opossums by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and all animals were serologically negative. Nine positive hemocultures (6.77%) were isolated and cryopreserved and from mammals of the Didelphimorphia and Chiroptera orders and positioned in phylogenies on the basis of sequences from different genes with reference strains of Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei and T. cruzi. From primary samples (blood and tissues) only one bat, Pteronotus parnellii, was positive to SSU rDNA and gGAPDH genes and grouped with the L. infantum chagasi branch. The studies conducted in Maranhão State provide knowledge of parasite diversity. It is important to determine the presence of trypanosomatids in wild mammals with synanthropic habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arabian Sand Cat Felis margarita harrisoni is a rare nocturnal feline associated with desert and arid steppes. The species has been recently recorded to Iraq from three specimens by Mohammad et al. (2013). However, its current status and population trends in Iraq still unknown. In 2014 and 2015, additional records with first photographic evidence were made. These new records confirm the resident occurrence of this species in Iraq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild vectors and reservoir hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi were surveyed from February 1993 to June 1994 in Ticumán (18°46’N, 99°07’W), Mexico (Deciduous Tropical Forest). Direct faeces examination showed that 87% of Triatoma pallidipennis hosted the parasite; T. cruzi forms were present in cultures inoculated with faeces of fifty 67% triatomine bugs and thirty CD-1 strain mice (10 d old) inoculated (peritoneum) with faeces of positive insects T. cruzi amastigotes were found in heart 67%, kidneys 47%, liver 80%, lungs 50%, oesophagus 60%, skin 23%, spleen 73% and stomach 60%. T. cruzi was isolated by direct blood examination from seven 21% chiropterans and five 38% rodents and T. cruzi forms were present in cultures inoculated with blood of twenty-three 68% chiropterans and seven 54% rodents and T. cruzi amastigotes were seen in the kidneys of one 3% chiropterans and four 31% rodents and only in one Pteronotus parnellii mexicanus, organisms were seen in skin 2%. There was no association between organs and T. cruzi infection (p 0.05).Se determinó la infección por Trypanosoma cruzi en chinches triatóminas y mamíferos silvestres capturados de febrero de 1993 a junio de 1994 en Ticumán (18°46’N, 99°07’W), Tlaltizapán, Morelos, México. El 87% de los ejemplares de Triatoma pallidipennis tenía el parásito; T. cruzi fue aislado de la sangre de siete quirópteros y cinco roedores. No hubo dependencia significativa entre los órganos examinados de los mamíferos y la infección por T. cruzi.

INTRODUÇÃO: Leishmaniose visceral é uma zoonose que acomete diversos mamíferos tendo os canídeos domésticos como principais reservatórios em ambiente urbano. A presente nota descreve a infecção de canídeos silvestres por Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi mantidos em cativeiro no Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. MÉTODOS: De seis raposas (Cerdocyon thous) e um cachorro vinagre (Spheotos venaticus), foram coletadas amostras de pele, medula óssea e linfonodo para detecção e caracterização de Leishmania sp pela técnica de PCR-RFLP. RESULTADOS: Todos as animais pesquisados apresentaram-se positivos para Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi. CONCLUSÕES: Destaca-se a importância de monitoramento adequado dos mesmos, além do maior controle desta enfermidade já que estes animais estão em ambientes de recreação pública.INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis that affects many mammals, and domestic canids are the main reservoirs in urban environments. This note describes infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi among wild canids kept in captivity in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. METHODS: Skin, bone marrow and lymph node samples were collected from six crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and one bush dog (Spheotos venaticus), in order to detect and characterize Leishmania using the PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS: All the animals studied were positive for Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of adequate monitoring of these animals, as well as greater control of this disease, given that these animals are in a public recreation environment.

Forty-four marsupials, 77 rodents and 161 ticks were captured in an Atlantic Forest Reserve in Cotia county, State of São Paulo, where human cases of Lyme disease (LD) simile were reported. Twenty-one borrelia-like spirochete isolates were recovered from the mammals' blood and rodent livers or spleens, and triturated ticks inoculated into BSK II medium. Our results suggest that the reservoirs and ticks collected may harbor borrelia-like spirochetes, some of which have an antigenic similarity with the unknown causative agent of LD simile in Brazil, and/or with North American Borrelia burgdorferi s.s.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas, but characterizing production by source sector has proven difficult. Current estimates suggest herbivores produce ~20% (~76-189 Tg yr−1) of methane globally, with wildlife contributions uncertain. We develop a simple and accurate method to estimate methane emissions and reevaluate production by wildlife. We find a strikingly robust relationship between body mass and methane output exceeding the scaling expected by differences in metabolic rate. Our allometric model gives a significantly better fit to empirical data than IPCC Tier 1 and 2 calculations. Our analysis suggests that (i) the allometric model provides an easier and more robust estimate of methane production than IPCC models currently in use; (ii) output from wildlife is much higher than previously considered; and (iii) because of the allometric scaling of methane output with body mass, national emissions could be reduced if countries favored more, smaller livestock, over fewer, larger ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This researchreports ticks on wild mammals from the Serra da Canastra National Park and surrounding areas, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. From July 2005 to June 2014, 58 larvae, 133 nymphs and 43 adult ticks were collected in 40 capture events of free-living mammals at the Park and surrounding areas. The tick species Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844, Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888, Amblyomma tigrinum Koch, 1844, Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897, and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888) were identified on hosts of the order Carnivora. Specimens of Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 and A. sculptum were identified on the hosts of the order Xenarthra. We provide the first records of D. nitens and R. microplus ticks parasitizing Lycalopex vetulus, and A. ovale on Leopardus tigrinus in Brazil. The findings of this research indicate the sharing of environment by domestic and wild animals caused by agricultural expansion in the Brazilian landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of a reservoir has changed significantly in the last century, making it necessary to study zoonosis from a broader perspective. One important example is that of Leishmania , zoonotic multi-host parasites maintained by several mammal species in nature. The magnitude of the health problem represented by leishmaniasis combined with the complexity of its epidemiology make it necessary to clarify all of the links in transmission net, including non-human mammalian hosts, to develop effective control strategies. Although some studies have described dozens of species infected with these parasites, only a minority have related their findings to the ecological scenario to indicate a possible role of that host in parasite maintenance and transmission. Currently, it is accepted that a reservoir may be one or a complex of species responsible for maintaining the parasite in nature. A reservoir system should be considered unique on a given spatiotemporal scale. In fact, the transmission of Leishmania species in the wild still represents an complex enzootic “puzzle”, as several links have not been identified. This review presents the mammalian species known to be infected with Leishmania spp. in the Americas, highlighting those that are able to maintain and act as a source of the parasite in nature (and are thus considered potential reservoirs). These host/reservoirs are presented separately in each of seven mammal orders – Marsupialia, Cingulata, Pilosa, Rodentia, Primata, Carnivora, and Chiroptera – responsible for maintaining Leishmania species in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mcr-1 gene spread is worldwide recognized as a public health threat at multidrug-resistant infections therapy level. Here, we report for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the detection of the globally distributed IncX4 plasmid carrying mcr-1 ( mcr-1 /IncX4) in Escherichia coli isolated from a wild mammal in Portugal and Europe. This plasmid was found in a ST533 E. coli isolate with a multidrug-resistant profile, virulence potential, and possibly phylogenetically related to human isolates. Our work contributes to highlight the importance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in wildlife, an important compartment of the whole ecosystem often overlooked in the fight against AMR. IMPORTANCE Colistin resistance mediated by plasmids is recognized worldwide as an emergency problem connected with the whole ecosystem, since is well described in the interface of the human-animal-environment. The plasmid IncX4 is reported as one of the most prevalent plasmids harboring the gene mcr-1 . On an European scale the plasmid IncX4 carrying mcr-1 has been described in humans, the environment, and animals, including wildlife, but only in wild birds. This study shows the first report of the plasmid IncX4 harboring mcr-1 in a wild mammal in Portugal and Europe, identified in a ST533 E. coli commensal that is, curiously, more related to isolates from humans than from livestock. Our findings show that the plasmid IncX4 harboring mcr-1 is well established in a colistin resistance drive embracing the whole ecosystem.

Twenty percent prevalence of West Nile virus antibody was found in free-ranging medium-sized Wisconsin mammals. No significant differences were noted in antibody prevalence with regard to sex, age, month of collection, or species. Our results suggest a similar route of infection in these mammals.

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on a study which examined the circulation of rabies virus among wildlife species from a native rainforest in São Paulo State, Brazil. Topics covered include an analysis of rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (RVNA) in blood samples collected from terrestrial mammals captured in the construction area and transported to the release area and the identification of the rabies virus in central nervous system (CNS) samples for terrestrial mammals found dead in the area.

Highlights: [•] The genus Spirometra is cosmopolitan and these parasites infect carnivores, specially felids and canids. [•] In Argentina, S. erinacei and S. mansonoides have been reported sporadically only in domestic definitive hosts. [•] This report describes the first finding of S. erinacei infecting Pampas fox expanding the list of definitive hosts. [•] Estimate prevalence of this cestode in rural areas from Argentina was calculated through adult of small intestinals and eggs identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of fecal samples found enterococcal excretion in 82% of 388 bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), 92% of 131 woodmice (Apodemus sylvaticus), and 75% of 165 badgers (Meles meles). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci, all Enterococcus faecium of vanA genotype, were excreted by 4.6% of the woodmice and 1.2% of the badgers, but by none of the bank voles.

Copyright of Ciência Animal Brasileira is the property of Universidade Federal de Goias, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Heterogeneous forces of selection associated with fluctuating environments are recognized as important factors involved in the maintenance of inter-individual phenotypic variance within populations. Consistent behavioural differences over time and across situations (e.g. personality) are increasingly cited as examples of individual variation observed within populations. However, the suggestion that heterogeneous selective pressures target different animal personalities remains largely untested in the wild. In this 5-year study, we investigated the dynamics of viability selection on a personality trait, exploration, in a population of eastern chipmunks ( Tamias striatus) experiencing substantial seasonal variations in weather conditions and food availability associated with masting trees. Contrary to our expectations, we found no evidence of fluctuating selection on exploration. Instead, we found strong disruptive viability selection on adult exploration behaviour, independent of seasonal variations. Individuals with either low or high exploration scores were almost twice as likely to survive over a 6-month period compared with individuals with intermediate scores. We found no evidence of viability selection on juvenile exploration. Our results highlight that disruptive selection might play an important role in the maintenance of phenotypic variance of wild populations through its effect on different personality types across temporally varying environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The presence of acute Chagas disease (ACD) due to oral transmission is growing and expanding in several South American countries. Within the Amazon basin, the Abaetetuba municipality has been a site of recurrent cases spanning across distinct landscapes. Because Chagas disease is primarily a zoonotic infection, we compared the enzootic Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycles in three different environmental areas of Abaetetuba to better understand this new epidemiological situation. Philander opossum was the most abundant mammalian species collected (38% of the collected mammals) with a T. cruzi prevalence of 57%, as determined by hemocultures. Didelphis marsupialis was abundant only in the area with the higher level of environmental disturbance (approximately 42%) and did not yield detectable parasitemia. Despite similarities observed in the composition of the small mammalian fauna and the prevalence of T. cruzi infection among the studied areas, the potential of these hosts to infect vectors differed significantly according to the degree of land use (with prevalences of 5%, 41%, and 64% in areas A3, A1 and A2, respectively). Domestic mammals were also found to be infected, and one canine T. cruzi isolate was obtained. Our data demonstrated that the transmission of T. cruzi in the Amazon basin is far more complex than had been previously taught and showed that the probability of humans and domestic mammals coming into contact with infected bugs can vary dramatically, even within the same municipality. The exposure of dogs to T. cruzi infection (indicated by positive serology) was the common feature among the studied localities, stressing the importance of selecting domestic mammals as sentinels in the identification of T. cruzi transmission hotspots. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anthropogenic activities near or within the wildlife habitats are threatening the wildlife with exposure to a variety of environmental contaminants. The wildlife horboured in these reserves are at risk of getting expose to automobile exhaust, industrial gases and suspended particulate matters. The world famous Tiger reserve, Ranthambore National Park, Sawaimadhopur, Rajasthan (India) was selected for study. Restrictions on the sampling because of wildlife Protection Act (1972) prevents taking of samples of living tissues to analyse levels of contaminants that wildlife may be carrying and in determining the critical levels that may be detrimental for their survival, well-being and reproduction. Feces of wild mammals one as noninvasive, nondestructive bioindicator of assessing environmental contamination. Feces of wild mammals, vegetation, soil and water of Ranthambore National Park, Sawaimadhopur, Rajasthan showed good concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined the epidemiology of leptospirosis at the Sorocaba Zoo, Southern Brazil. Whole blood, urine and tissue samples from wild mammals and synanthropic animals were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The risk factors for animal infection and staff level of knowledge on leptospirosis were evaluated by the researchers. It was found that serology from synanthropic animals, zoo staff, and molecular analysis of animal samples were negative. The study concluded that wild captive mammals are not the source of infection of leptospirosis to other animals and human beings.

Based on the combination of standard light and transmission electron microscopy, cryo-SEM, immunohistochemistry and a new sensitive glycolipid histochemical technique (5-hexadecanoylaminofluorescein staining, laser scanning microscopy), including densitometrical evaluation, our approach gives for the first time an overview of the specific biology of the epidermal permeability barrier in wild mammals (20 species from five orders), living under varying (aquatic or moist to dry) habitat conditions. The results obtained emphasised that the barrier region in most of the species studied is a continuous zone (thickness, 0.1 and 3 µm) between the upper cells of the stratum granulosum and the inner cells of the stratum corneum conjunctum, normally present as a homogeneous glycolipid layer originating from fusion of lamellar body contents after exocytotic activities of the granular cells. However, this finding did not apply to all of the species studied, i.e., the Wild boar, the Common seal and the three large species with a very thick vital epidermis, the African elephant, the hippopotamus and the common dolphin, exhibited variations from the basic scheme. Densitometric evaluation of the 5-hexadecanoylaminofluorescein staining revealed that reaction intensity was not only generally related to the habitat conditions but also to vital epidermis thickness and hair density. The immunohistochemical demonstration of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 corroborated for all wild mammals studied that this important regulator of pH conditions during barrier formation is continuously produced in the epidermis. The variations in barrier biology observed for some species obviously had to be developed in relation to animal size (or body size area) and hair coat density, but, particularly, by the specific adaptation of certain mammalian groups to the aquatic environment. In the latter case, the typical barrier zone system was lost, as in the hippopotamus or the cetaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wild populations, individuals are regularly exposed to a wide range of pathogens. In this context, organisms must elicit and regulate effective immune responses to protect their health while avoiding immunopathology. However, most of our knowledge about the function and dynamics of immune responses comes from laboratory studies performed on inbred mice in highly controlled environments with limited exposure to infection. Natural populations, on the other hand, exhibit wide genetic and environmental diversity. We argue that now is the time for immunology to be taken into the wild. The goal of 'wild immunology' is to link immune phenotype with host fitness in natural environments. To achieve this requires relevant measures of immune responsiveness that are both applicable to the host-parasite interaction under study and robustly associated with measures of host and parasite fitness. Bringing immunology to nonmodel organisms and linking that knowledge host fitness, and ultimately population dynamics, will face difficult challenges, both technical (lack of reagents and annotated genomes) and statistical (variation among individuals and populations). However, the affordability of new genomic technologies will help immunologists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists work together to translate and test our current knowledge of immune mechanisms in natural systems. From this approach, ecologists will gain new insight into mechanisms relevant to host health and fitness, while immunologists will be given a measure of the real-world health impacts of the immune factors they study. Thus, wild immunology can be the missing link between laboratory-based immunology and human, wildlife and domesticated animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seropositivity among pregnant woman in Austria has decreased from 48% to 50% at the end of the 1970s to 35% in recent years. Despite this decrease, knowledge of possible sources and risk factors for Toxoplasma infection remains important. We reviewed seroepidemiological studies that were undertaken to assess the roles of undercooked meat and oocysts in cat faeces as potential sources of infection in pregnant women. Improved management and hygiene in pig herds raised in confinement have resulted in less contact of pigs with cats and a decrease of infected pigs within one decade from 14% in 1982 to 0.9% in 1992. In Austrian wild boar populations, however, seroprevalences remained essentially unchanged during the same decade (18% in 1983 and 19% in 1990–1993). Austrian sheep and goats are usually kept on small farms where cats abound and are predominantly seropositive (66% in sheep and 69% in goats). The seroprevalence in cats has decreased from approximately 81% in 1987 to 59% in 1996; presumably because of cats’ increased consumption of processed food. Despite the decrease of infection in pregnant women via the cat-to-pig pathway, it may be offset by a recent concomitant increase in mutton consumption. Free-ranging chickens are a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens are ground feeders. Antibodies to T. gondii, as evaluated by the modified agglutination test, were found in 36% of chickens from 12 Austrian ‘biofarms’. Because Austrians rarely consume raw pork, the fraction of human T. gondii infections associated with pig meat consumption is likely small. As meat consumption and lifestyle patterns change in Austria, the risk of human infection with T. gondii via different pathways needs re-evaluation and targeted educational efforts to control transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To evaluate the role of wildlife in the resurgence and perenisation of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), we investigated the influence of habitat and seasonal variations on the diversity and spatial distribution of wild mammals, with special reference to those recognised as potential host-reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in Bipindi (southwestern Cameroon). To achieve this, we carried out transect surveys in four habitat types over two years. A total of 31 mammal species were recorded, of which 14 occurred in the undisturbed forest, 9 in cocoa plantations, 11 in farmlands and 11 in village-adjacent gallery forests. Among them, six species (Cephalophus monticola, Cephalophus dorsalis, Atherurus africanus, Cricetomys emini, Nandinia binotata and Cercopithecus nictitans), known as reservoir hosts of T. b. gambiense, occurred in all kinds of habitats suitable or unsuited to Glossina palpalis palpalis and in all seasons. These species are the most involved in the transmission cycle (human being/tsetse flies/wild animals). Cercopithecus cephus, Miopithecus talapoin and Heliosciurus rufobrachium host Trypanosoma brucei spp.; however, only C. cephus does not occur permanently in the suitable habitat of G. palpalis palpalis. In general, some species (C. monticola, Tragelaphus spekei and C. emini) showed a slight density increase from the long dry to the heavy rainy season within the undisturbed and farmland habitats, and a slight decrease within cocoa plantations and village-adjacent forests in the same period. The density of A. africanus increased greatly from the long dry season to the heavy rainy season in the undisturbed forest while, the density of primates in this habitat decreased slightly from the long dry season to the heavy rainy season. These variations indicate a permanent movement of wild mammal reservoir or feeding hosts from one biotope to another over the seasons. Thryonomys swinderianus needs to be investigated because it occurs permanently in the suitable habitat of G. palpalis palpalis and Potamochoerus porcus for its genetic similarities to domestic pigs, favourable feeding hosts of G. palpalis palpalis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]