Search

Throughout the eastern United States, the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) distributes oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits to manage rabies virus circulation in raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations. The consumption of vaccine baits by non‐target species including Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) may reduce the effectiveness of ORV programs, but competition for baits remains poorly quantified in many areas of the southeastern United States. We distributed placebo ORV baits injected with a biomarker across 4 land cover types (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, riparian, isolated wetland) on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, 2017–2019. We then trapped and collected whiskers from 247 raccoons and 78 opossums to assess biomarker presence using fluorescent microscopy. Our data revealed greater bait uptake probability by raccoons (estimated x̅ = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.19–0.44) compared to opossums (estimated x̅ = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05–0.23) across all cover types surveyed. Probability of bait consumption was not affected by cover type or the abundance of raccoons or opossums. Among raccoons, males were more likely to consume baits than females (estimated x̅ = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.17–0.44 for males and 0.14, 95% CI = 0.05–0.31 for females) and probability of consumption increased by 0.08 with each additional day trapped during the 10‐day trapping session. Uptake rates for raccoons were relatively low compared to other studies and not influenced by competition with opossums. These low consumption rates indicate that additional research addressing the roles of baiting season, bait density, and resource selection will be important to maximize ORV bait uptake by target species in these southeastern landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog-mediated rabies is endemic in much of Indonesia, including Bali. Most dogs in Bali are free-roaming and often inaccessible for parenteral vaccination without special effort. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is considered a promising alternative to increase vaccination coverage in these dogs. This study assessed immunogenicity in local dogs in Bali after oral administration of the highly attenuated third-generation rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS. Dogs received the oral rabies vaccine either directly or by being offered an egg-flavored bait that contained a vaccine-loaded sachet. The humoral immune response was then compared with two further groups of dogs: a group that received a parenteral inactivated rabies vaccine and an unvaccinated control group. The animals were bled prior to vaccination and between 27 and 32 days after vaccination. The blood samples were tested for the presence of virus-binding antibodies using ELISA. The seroconversion rate in the three groups of vaccinated dogs did not differ significantly: bait: 88.9%; direct-oral: 94.1%; parenteral: 90.9%; control: 0%. There was no significant quantitative difference in the level of antibodies between orally and parenterally vaccinated dogs. This study confirms that SPBN GASGAS is capable of inducing an adequate immune response comparable to a parenteral vaccine under field conditions in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of voltage regulation in smart agriculture unit is well studied. There exists number of approaches to support voltage regulation in agriculture sector. However, the methods consider only the number of motors share the voltage as the key in regulating the artificial voltage to the agriculture unit. The methods suffer to achieve higher performance in smart agriculture. To solve this issue, an efficient Machine Learning Based Voltage Regulation Model (MLVRM) is presented in this paper. The method maintains the agriculture trace and uses them to compute mean voltage utilization (MVU) at various duty cycles. With the information like no of smart motors connected, average voltage utilization of motors, and other features, the method computes MVU value. The method trains the neural network with the features extracted. The network is designed with number of intermediate layers where each layer neuron computes the value of MVU according to the features available. The output layer neurons produces number of MVU value. Based on the MVU values obtained, the method computes Optimal Regulation Voltage (ORV) for the current input voltage according to the required voltage for the smart motor connected. The proposed model improves the performance of voltage regulation and smart agriculture.

Rabies virus (RABV) is a deadly zoonosis that circulates in wild carnivore populations in North America. Intensive management within the USA and Canada has been conducted to control the spread of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) variant of RABV and work towards elimination. We examined RABV occurrence across the northeastern USA and southeastern Québec, Canada during 2008–2018 using a multi-method, dynamic occupancy model. Using a 10 km × 10 km grid overlaid on the landscape, we examined the probability that a grid cell was occupied with RABV and relationships with management activities (oral rabies vaccination (ORV) and trap-vaccinate-release efforts), habitat, neighbour effects and temporal trends. We compared raccoon RABV detection probabilities between different surveillance samples (e.g. animals that are strange acting, road-kill, public health samples). The management of RABV through ORV was found to be the greatest driver in reducing the occurrence of rabies on the landscape. Additionally, RABV occupancy declined further with increasing duration of ORV baiting programmes. Grid cells north of ORV management were at or near elimination ($\hat{\psi }_{{\rm north}}$ = 0.00, s.e. = 0.15), managed areas had low RABV occupancy ($\hat{\psi }_{{\rm managed}}$ = 0.20, s.e. = 0.29) and enzootic areas had the highest level of RABV occupancy ($\hat{\psi }_{{\rm south}}$ = 0.83, s.e. = 0.06). These results provide evidence that past management actions have been being successful at the goals of reducing and controlling the raccoon variant of RABV. At a finer scale we also found that vaccine bait type and bait density impacted RABV occupancy. Detection probabilities varied; samples from strange acting animals and public health had the highest detection rates. Our results support the movement of the ORV zone south within the USA due to high elimination probabilities along the US border with Québec. Additional enhanced rabies surveillance is still needed to ensure elimination is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when many public park and recreational programs are required by local governments to be financially self-sustaining, it is critical for planners to design a new development with the end-user in mind. Feasibility studies often either do not examine user preferences or use Likert-type surveys to investigate features in isolation without evaluating trade-offs from financial and finite space limitations. This study used stated preference choice method (SPCM) to inform the initial design of an off-road vehicle (ORV) park. The park was developed near Detroit, Michigan, a metropolitan area with many registered ORVs, but few places to legally use them. The SPCM examined trade-offs among desired features and helped planners ensure publicly funded investments resulted in a successful park. Researchers mailed a survey with choice sets to 3935 registered ORV users and 2083 completed surveys were retuned (53%). Additional survey items also allowed researchers to create preference models for specific segments of users (i.e., serious ORV enthusiasts/casual users; residents/visitors; or users of different ORV types). The findings informed the design of the park by revealing preferences for segments, allowing planners to design the park for specific markets. The park's initial success suggests a study in the design stage of development offers utility, though park managers have noticed unanticipated user segments that influence preferences for park features. The findings based on segments also suggest planners should be cautious when designing to an average user. Implications of this study are helpful to planners of any capital-intensive land-use project, especially in the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when many public park and recreational programs are required by local governments to be financially self-sustaining, it is critical for planners to design a new development with the end-user in mind. Feasibility studies often either do not examine user preferences or use Likert-type surveys to investigate features in isolation without evaluating trade-offs from financial and finite space limitations. This study used stated preference choice method (SPCM) to inform the initial design of an off-road vehicle (ORV) park. The park was developed near Detroit, Michigan, a metropolitan area with many registered ORVs, but few places to legally use them. The SPCM examined trade-offs among desired features and helped planners ensure publicly funded investments resulted in a successful park. Researchers mailed a survey with choice sets to 3935 registered ORV users and 2083 completed surveys were retuned (53%). Additional survey items also allowed researchers to create preference models for specific segments of users (i.e., serious ORV enthusiasts/casual users; residents/visitors; or users of different ORV types). The findings informed the design of the park by revealing preferences for segments, allowing planners to design the park for specific markets. The park’s initial success suggests a study in the design stage of development offers utility, though park managers have noticed unanticipated user segments that influence preferences for park features. The findings based on segments also suggest planners should be cautious when designing to an average user. Implications of this study are helpful to planners of any capital-intensive land-use project, especially in the public sector.

Vaccine-laden baits were distributed to interrupt and halt raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies transmission in suburban Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York, US. Fishmeal polymer baits containing the RABORAL V-RG® vaccine were deployed with helicopters, bait stations, and vehicles at a target density of 250 baits/km2 during annual September campaigns (2006–10). Semiannual campaigns (500 baits/km2) were also initiated in a portion of the treatment zone (2007–09) in response to a persistent focus of rabid raccoons. The last enzootic case was reported in January 2009. The final vaccination campaign was completed in 2010. The raccoon variant of rabies virus is no longer circulating in Nassau or Suffolk counties. Significantly greater probabilities of raccoon seroconversion were observed in helicopter-deployed bait zones. The lowest probabilities of seroconversion were identified in vehicle and bait station-deployment bait zones, with a marginal advantage associated with bait-station deployment. Seroconversion was negatively associated with developed, medium-intensity areas and increasing human population density. Significantly higher rabies virus neutralizing antibody endpoint titrations were detected in helicopter and bait station-deployment zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal movement influences the spatial spread of directly transmitted wildlife disease through host–host contact structure. Wildlife disease hosts vary in home range‐associated foraging and social behaviours, which may increase the spread and intensity of disease outbreaks. The consequences of variation in host home range movement and space use on wildlife disease dynamics are poorly understood, but could help to predict disease spread and determine more effective disease management strategies.We developed a spatially explicit individual‐based model to examine the effect of spatiotemporal variation in host home range size on the spatial spread rate, persistence and incidence of rabies virus (RABV) in raccoons (Procyon lotor). We tested the hypothesis that variation in home range size increases RABV spread and decreases vaccination effectiveness in host populations following pathogen invasion into a vaccination zone.We simulated raccoon demography and RABV dynamics across a range of magnitudes and variances in weekly home range size for raccoons. We examined how variable home range size influenced the relative effectiveness of three components of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) programmes targeting raccoons—timing and frequency of bait delivery, width of the ORV zone and proportion of hosts immunized.Variability in weekly home range size increased RABV spread rates by 1.2‐fold to 5.2‐fold compared to simulations that assumed a fixed home range size. More variable host home range sizes decreased relative vaccination effectiveness by 71% compared to less variable host home range sizes under conventional vaccination conditions. We found that vaccination timing was more influential for vaccination effectiveness than vaccination frequency or vaccination zone width.Our results suggest that variation in wildlife home range movement behaviour increases the spatial spread and incidence of RABV. Our vaccination results underscore the importance of prioritizing individual‐level space use and movement data collection to understand wildlife disease dynamics and plan their effective control and elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

USDA APHIS Wildlife Services has been a primary cooperator in the Cape Cod Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (CCORVP) in southeastern Massachusetts since 2001. The CCORVP (1994 - present) was originally designed to reduce the incidence of terrestrial rabies adjacent to the Cape Cod Canal in order to prevent its spread on to peninsular Cape Cod. However, since the barrier breach in 2004, CCORVP is now focused on rabies control in this coastal resort area southeast of Boston, MA. An integral component of wildlife rabies management is oral vaccination with vaccine-laden baits. Consequently, maximizing bait uptake rates is critical to achieving sufficient population immunity to reduce rabies prevalence and achieve control. To that end, knowledge of raccoon food habits, especially at ORV bait delivery times (spring and fall on Cape Cod) is crucial. We undertook a study of raccoon food selection in southeastern Massachusetts to assess the presence of and interest in competing food resources. We collected intact stomachs from raccoons found dead or euthanized for rabies testing within the CCORVP zone during 2006 (n = 33) and 2007 (n = 109) for analysis. Stomach contents were dominated by vegetation (80%), followed by invertebrates (43%), non-food items (41%), vertebrates (35%), and hair (primarily raccoon based on appearance) (15%). Food item occurrence appears to be related to age. We present findings, potential management implications, and suggestions for assessing food use related to rabies control in other locations.

Rabies remains a globally significant zoonotic disease, but rabies control is achievable under certain circumstances. Canine rabies has been eliminated from the U.S.; however, approximately 55,000 humans die annually worldwide from the disease. In the U.S., economic losses continue to be substantial and the risk to humans and domestic animals has not been eliminated. As an example of the complexity of rabies management, we describe a local rabies control program and efforts to restore Cape Cod, MA to terrestrial rabies-free status, after a 2004 oral rabies vaccination (ORV) barrier breach following 10 years of rabies-free status. The emergence of raccoon rabies in southeastern New England in 1992 prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to begin an ORV program to reduce the occurrence of carnivore rabies in an area directly adjacent to the Cape Cod Canal. In 2001, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services began full-time collaboration on the Cape Cod Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (CCORVP) as part of national wildlife rabies control efforts. The primary objective of the CCORVP was to use ORV in tandem with the physical barrier created by the Canal to prevent the spread of rabies to peninsular Cape Cod, a heavily-populated tourist destination southeast of Boston. After an increase in rabies cases within the traditional Cape Cod ORV zone, ORV bait distribution efforts were modified to reduce the risk of rabies spread onto the Cape. In spite of these modifications, raccoon rabies was detected for the first time on peninsular Cape Cod in March 2004. A trap-vaccinate-release campaign, removal of suspect raccoons and skunks, and expanded ORV efforts were unsuccessful in preventing the spread of the virus. Rabies surveillance became the priority of the Cape Cod Rabies Task Force. In 2006, rabies was finally detected at the eastern extremity of the peninsula. In this paper, we summarize ORV efforts, explore possible causes for the spread of raccoon rabies onto the Cape, summarize several small-scale Cape Cod rabies research projects, and suggest a 5-year plan for future Cape Cod rabies controls efforts.

Aerial delivery of rabies vaccine-laden bait is effective and efficient for large-scale vaccination of wildlife. Oral rabies vaccine (ORV) contained in a sachet (or blister pack) inside baits that serve as the mode of delivery currently are used for orally immunizing foxes, raccoons, and coyotes. The technique remains in the vaccine-development stage for oral immunization of skunks. Since skunks are a major vector of the rabies virus, concurrent development of a bait that is sufficiently attractive to skunks would facilitate an immediate mode of delivery once a vaccine is developed. We ran a palatability experiment with different shapes and flavors of baits to assess uptake by captive skunks. The flavors most preferred were fish and chicken. We also evaluated the fate of the sachet (punctured or not) inside baits, which would assist in assessing the delivery of a vaccine dose. On average, cylindrical-shaped baits had a higher percentage of punctured sachets than did rectangular-shaped baits, and baits with their matrix directly coated onto the sachet had a higher percentage of punctured sachets than did those baits in which the sachet was “held.” We also used sulfadimethoxine, a short-term quantifiable biomarker, as a mock vaccine inside sachets in an attempt to quantify the amount of liquid ingested by skunks after consuming baits of different shape and size. While this information could have been useful for assessing the amount of vaccine delivered via sachet puncture, it could not be determined due to an aversive tasting biomarker. For effective ORV bait uptake by skunks, modifications to current baits should include a smaller size and a meat flavor matrix that is directly coated onto the sachet.

The majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control each year occur in wildlife including skunks, raccoons, bats, foxes, and coyotes. Currently, oral rabies vaccination campaigns are employed to immunize coyotes, foxes, and raccoons. Though skunks are vectors of 6 rabies strains, there is currently no effective oral vaccine or delivery system for skunks. More information is needed to determine if baits currently used are sufficiently attractive to skunks, or if the baits are difficult for skunks to handle and consume. We observed bait manipulation by skunks in penned feeding trials to determine the bait type most conducive to ingestion and delivery of a mock vaccine to skunks. Smaller baits were easier for skunks to manipulate and consume, and vaccine containers coated with bait facilitated sachet puncture and increased the potential for vaccine delivery. Our information will be useful in the development of baits and vaccine containers for large-scale rabies vaccination campaigns that target skunks.

The oral rabies vaccination (ORV) programme is the most widespread vaccination programme that is implemented in the European Union and targets wildlife diseases. The size of the project requires significant financial resources, so a cost–benefit analysis is necessary to establish the economic value of the project. We summarized all ORV costs during the period 2011–2016 in Croatia, calculated all established benefits and presented the cost–benefit ratio (CBR). Additionally, we analysed all components included in the ORV and rabies control programme (surveillance, preventive human treatment and vaccination of dogs) to find possibilities to increase the benefits. According to our results, in the period 2011–2016, the CBR was only 0.05, and the majority of the cost was derived from the preventive vaccination of dogs (72.3%). With the implementation of 2‐ or 3‐year vaccination intervals, the CBR can be increased to 1.46 or 1.92, respectively, confirming positive economic value. This study shows the importance of analysing all rabies control and eradication components based on the specific characteristics of a particular country to determine the factors that can be modified to potentially improve the benefits of ORV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) can protect humans against 12 viral and three bacterial diseases. By definition, any clinical infection caused by a LAV that is sufficiently severe to require medical intervention attests to an inherited or acquired immunodeficiency that must be diagnosed or identified. Self-healing infections can also result from milder forms of immunodeficiency. We review here the inherited forms of immunodeficiency underlying severe infections of LAVs. Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) underlying bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), oral poliovirus (OPV), vaccine measles virus (vMeV), and oral rotavirus vaccine (ORV) disease have been described from 1951, 1963, 1966, and 2009 onward, respectively. For each of these four LAVs, the underlying IEIs show immunological homogeneity despite genetic heterogeneity. Specifically, BCG disease is due to inborn errors of IFN-γ immunity, OPV disease to inborn errors of B cell immunity, vMeV disease to inborn errors of IFN-α/β and IFN-λ immunity, and ORV disease to adaptive immunity. Severe reactions to the other 11 LAVs have been described yet remain "idiopathic," in the absence of known underlying inherited or acquired immunodeficiencies, and are warranted to be the focus of research efforts. The study of IEIs underlying life-threatening LAV infections is clinically important for the affected patients and their families, as well as immunologically, for the study of the molecular and cellular basis of host defense against both attenuated and parental pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raccoon rabies in eastern USA is managed by strategically distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. The attractiveness, palativity, density, and non-target species bait take affect ORV effectiveness. We examined raccoon and non-target species differences in investigating/removing fish-meal polymer and coated sachet baits applied to simulate two aerial bait distribution densities. Bait densities of 150 baits/km2 and 75 baits/km2 were evaluated, respectively, in zones expected to have high and low raccoon densities. Three primary non-target species visited baits: coyotes, white-tailed deer, and feral swine. The proportion of bait stations visited by raccoons during 1 week observation periods ranged from 50 to 70%, exceeding non-target species visitation. Raccoon take rates for visited baits averaged from 59 to 100%. Raccoon visitation was similar for both bait densities, indicating a proportionally greater quantity of baits were taken in the higher bait density zone. Coyote visitation rates ranged from 16 to 26%, with take rates for visited baits between 46 and 100%. Coyotes were expected to take baits intended for raccoons, because similar baits are applied to vaccinate coyotes. Deer regularly investigated but rarely took baits. Feral swine were in low abundance in the high bait density zone (higher human density) and visited ≤ 1% of baits there but visited baits at frequencies similar to coyotes and deer in the low-density zone and were likely to take encountered baits (63–100%). Non-target bait consumption could be a concern in some circumstances for achieving sufficient raccoon sero-conversion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in October 1988, Texas experienced an expanding epizootic of canine rabies, in South Texas, which now involves 21 counties where a total of 678 confirmed cases (50% in coyotes, the majority of the rest in domestic dogs, with 76 "spill-over" cases found in 7 other species). Some 2,000 persons have received post-exposure rabies treatment, and there have been 2 human fatalities. The Texas Department of Health has led the initiation of an experimental program to use an oral rabies vaccine, Raboral V-RG, over the next 4-5 years with the goal of pushing the epizootic southward and eliminating it from Texas. Success in reducing rabies during 1995, when 830,000 baits were distributed over 15,000 acres, is described. Data on bait uptake and immune status of coyotes are presented.

Intensive efforts are being made to eliminate the raccoon variant of rabies virus (RABV) from the eastern United States and Canada. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program has implemented enhanced rabies surveillance (ERS) to improve case detection across the extent of the raccoon oral rabies vaccination (ORV) management area. We evaluated ERS and public health surveillance data from 2006 to 2017 in three northeastern USA states using a dynamic occupancy modeling approach. Our objectives were to examine potential risk corridors for RABV incursion from the U.S. into Canada, evaluate the effectiveness of ORV management strategies, and identify surveillance gaps. ORV management has resulted in a decrease in RABV cases over time within vaccination zones (from occupancy ( ψ ¯ ) of 0.60 standard error (SE) = 0.03 in the spring of 2006 to ψ ¯ of 0.33 SE = 0.10 in the spring 2017). RABV cases also reduced in the enzootic area (from ψ ¯ of 0.60 SE = 0.03 in the spring of 2006 to ψ ¯ of 0.45 SE = 0.05 in the spring 2017). Although RABV occurrence was related to habitat type, greater impacts were associated with ORV and trap−vaccinate−release (TVR) campaigns, in addition to seasonal and yearly trends. Reductions in RABV occupancy were more pronounced in areas treated with Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB) compared to RABORAL V-RG®. Our approach tracked changes in RABV occurrence across space and time, identified risk corridors for potential incursions into Canada, and highlighted surveillance gaps, while evaluating the impacts of management actions. Using this approach, we are able to provide guidance for future RABV management.

This study discusses a tropical and a temperate forest route development to Mesehe and Pisoiu Waterfall supporting sustainable tourism development in Pohsanten Community, Bali, Indonesia and Bistra, Romania. It is a qualitative study using a combination of observation, direct participation and non- structured interviews as data collecting methods. Geo-data was collected during forest expeditions, interactions and interviews with local community members who participate in tourism. Re-establishing the geo-heritage supports sustainability to the people in terms of socio economic wellbeing, promotes legal use of forest and conservation. The study suggests 3 types of products: Village off road vehicle (ORV) recreation, mountain biking, and forest trekking. It concludes tourism could be a solution to the misuse of natural environment, brings about socio cultural and economic benefits to the members of the village; thus, sustainable tourism development for Pohsanten and Bistra communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rabies virus causes progressive encephalomyelitis that is fatal in nearly 100% of untreated cases. In the United States, wildlife act as the primary reservoir for rabies; prevention, surveillance, and control costs remain high. The purpose of this study is to understand the current distribution of wildlife rabies in three southeastern states, with particular focus on raccoons as the primary eastern reservoir, as well as identify demographic and geographic factors which may affect the risk of human exposure. This ecologic study obtained county-level rabies surveillance data from state health departments and the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife services for North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia from 2010 to 2013. A spatial statistical analysis was performed to identify county clusters with high or low rates of raccoon rabies in the three states. Potential demographic and geographic factors associated with these varying rates of rabies were assessed using a multivariable negative binomial regression model. In North Carolina, raccoons constituted 50% of positive tests, in Virginia, 49%, and in West Virginia, 50%. Compared to persons residing in West Virginia counties, persons in North Carolina counties had 1.67 times the risk of exposure ( p < 0.0001) to a rabid raccoon and those in Virginia counties had 1.82 times the risk of exposure ( p < 0.0001) to a rabid raccoon. Compared to those counties where farmland makes up less than 17% of the total area, persons residing in counties with 17-28% farmland had a 32% increased risk of exposure to a rabid raccoon. In counties with 28-39% farmland, there was an 84% increased risk of exposure. State, rurality, and percent of area designated as farmland were the best predictors of risk of raccoon rabies exposure. Further research is needed to better understand the effect of the oral rabies vaccine program in controlling the risk of human exposure to raccoon rabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the prospects for compromise management to support greater natural resources on recreational beaches by analyzing the spatial dimensions of key natural resource indicators (beach vegetation and wrack) with peak recreational uses in New Jersey, one of the most intensively developed shorelines in North America. The spatial distribution of pedestrian and vehicular recreational uses was measured on 60 transects in heavily-populated beaches during the peak times and days of use during the summer tourist season, and compared to that of vegetation and wrack on 72 transects in nearby protected natural areas. The frequency, density, and % use were calculated for each 10% increment of linear beach surface, and the impacts of protecting different amounts of upper beach areas were calculated in terms of the % vegetation, wrack and recreational use that would be supported in each case. Vegetation was highly concentrated in landward portions of the beach surface, and pedestrian and parked recreational vehicles in the seaward areas, suggesting high compatibility of these natural resources with recreational use. Lower compatibility was found for existing patterns of wrack and vehicle driving, which were more widely distributed across the beach surface. Based on the distributions of these variables, protecting the upper 50% of the beach would support >80% of vegetation, pedestrian and parked vehicular uses, and 42–52% of driving uses and wrack, respectively. Protecting the upper 25% of the beach would support >95% of all recreational uses, 52% of vegetation, and 24% of wrack. Given the current level of impacts to vegetation and wrack on recreational beaches, major gains in these and other natural resources can therefore be made across the shoreline without substantial impacts to existing pedestrian or vehicular recreational uses. Greater ecological benefits and ecosystem services may be obtained by applying these types of compromise management solutions to recreational ocean beaches in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relative impacts of different human activities and natural resource protections on the spatial distribution of beach vegetation and related habitat features (wrack, dune succession) in New Jersey (USA). Field surveys of the 209-km shoreline categorized beach segments according to vegetation cover classes, human activities, protection measures (exclosures, beach management plans, access restrictions) and ownership status (federal, state, etc.). A partition model (classification tree) was used to confirm the relative dominance hierarchy of human actions on the distribution of beach vegetation observed, and quantitative comparisons of dominant activities were conducted using vegetation data collected on 218 transects. The spatial extent of beach vegetation was found to be severely restricted by human activities when unconstrained by resource protections. The greatest reductions were found to result from mechanical raking (−99 %), scraping (−91 %) and all-year recreational ORV use (−86 %), which were dominant on nearly 70 % of the state shoreline. Beaches containing larger areas of vegetation (>5 m) were concentrated in areas with resource protections of various kinds (99 %), and on federal or other public parklands (68 %). Exclosures resulted in the greatest coverage of vegetation (48 % of beach surface) compared to public access restricted areas (41 %), beach management plans (31 %), government-only ORV use (31 %), and off-season recreational ORVs (15 %). Greater protection and recovery of beach vegetation and habitat is needed for species conservation and erosion protection in New Jersey and other coastal environments where these activities occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined the variations in tetracycline biomarking used in the oral rabies vaccination (ORV) of Ohio raccoons. Its aim is to see whether tetracycline, a traditional index to bait uptake in ORV, serves well in this capacity. It conducted a tissue analysis of hunter-harvested Ohio raccoons where ORV had been conducted in 1998, 1999 and 2001 which showed that tetracycline marking was significantly different among all tissue types.

The article presents research on aerial distribution of oral vaccine baits to immunize raccoons or Procyon lotor and striped skunks or Mephitis mephitis in the wildlife against rabies. It references a study by Jean-Philippe Boyer and colleagues published in the same issue of the journal. It examines the effects of habitat and the timing of the bait distribution on the contact rate between the animals and the ONRAB&nreg vaccine bait.

Use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) in permafrost-affected terrain of Alaska has increased sharply over the past two decades. Until the early 1960s, most ORV use was by industry or government, which employed heavy vehicles such as industrial tractors and tracked carriers. Smaller, commercial ORVs became available in the 1960s, with the variety and number in use rapidly increasing. Wheeled and tracked ORVs, many used exclusively for recreation or subsistence harvesting by individuals, are now ubiquitous in Alaska. This increased use has led to concern over the cumulative effects of such vehicles on vegetation, soils, and environmental variables including off-site values. Factors affecting impact and subsequent restoration include specific environmental setting; vegetation; presence and ice content of permafrost; microtopography; vehicle design, weight, and ground pressure; traffic frequency; season of traffic; and individual operator practices. Approaches for mitigating adverse effects of ORVs include regulation and zoning, terrain analysis and sensitivity mapping, route selection, surface protection, and operator training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To combat raccoon rabies, various government agencies have implemented a plan to distribute oral rabies vaccine (ORV) in wooded areas. The bait blocks containing ORV are available for its intended population but also for humans and domestic animals. Methods. A regional poison information center (RPIC) identified all exposures to ORV from 2002-2004 reported to the center. Results. Twenty-two accidental exposures to the ORV were reported. Eight (36%) of the exposures were human and 14 (64%) were domestic animals. The animal exposures were oral while the human contaminations were oral (1), dermal (6), inhalation (1), and ocular (1). Eight of the cases involved multiple victims. No symptoms were reported in the humans or canines although the feline died (unsubstantiated if related). Treatment consisted of irrigation/dilution and in one instance emesis was induced. Conclusion. In this case series, accidental exposure to ORV posed no hazard to domestic animals or humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, spoil from maintenance dredging of navigation channels is increasingly used to opportunistically nourish beaches. This is often justified on the presumption that nourishment will improve public beach amenity and restore sandy beach habitat. However, this is not necessarily the case, especially for beaches that do not have an immediate threat of significant erosion. We addressed the ecological impacts and benefits of a backshore sand nourishment project conducted along an off-road vehicle (ORV) damaged section of Blacksmiths Beach, New South Wales, Australia. Sediment, sourced from dredging the inlet of nearby Lake Macquarie, was placed on the foredune, ORVs were excluded and low-density vegetation was planted. Sampling before and after the management interventions, at the Impact (nourished) site, two Control sites (with ORVs), and two Reference sites (without ORVs), assessed ecological impacts of nourishment and the efficacy of the interventions in rehabilitating vegetation and invertebrate communities degraded by ORVs. Nourishment initially had large negative impacts on vegetation cover, as well as on invertebrate abundance and richness. Recovery to a pre-nourished state was, however, observed for vegetation cover after 9 months and invertebrate communities after 21 months. Nevertheless, by the end of our study that extended 21 months post-nourishment and ORV exclusion, there was no evidence of change in the nourished site towards the state of Reference sites. Overall, our study suggests that small-scale backshore sand nourishments of ocean beaches may have only short-term negative impacts on foredune ecosystems when accompanied with some replanting. Nevertheless, where the frequency of sand disposals is greater than the required recovery time, or cumulative effects amass, longer-term or sustained impacts may occur. Our study does not support the efficacy of sand nourishment as a tool for ecological restoration, at least in the short term, without sustained replanting and weeding efforts aimed at reinstating the vegetation community. Unlabelled Image • We assessed ecological benefits of beach nourishment coupled with ORV exclusion. • Foredune communities were monitored for 2 years following backshore nourishment. • Nourishment initially produced negative impacts on vegetation and invertebrates. • Vegetation recovered by 9 months and invertebrates by 21 months post-nourishment. • Ecological improvement from before to 2 years after interventions was not seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive efforts are being made to eliminate the raccoon variant of rabies virus (RABV) from the eastern United States and Canada. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program has implemented enhanced rabies surveillance (ERS) to improve case detection across the extent of the raccoon oral rabies vaccination (ORV) management area. We evaluated ERS and public health surveillance data from 2006 to 2017 in three northeastern USA states using a dynamic occupancy modeling approach. Our objectives were to examine potential risk corridors for RABV incursion from the U.S. into Canada, evaluate the effectiveness of ORV management strategies, and identify surveillance gaps. ORV management has resulted in a decrease in RABV cases over time within vaccination zones (from occupancy ( ψ ¯ ) of 0.60 standard error (SE) = 0.03 in the spring of 2006 to ψ ¯ of 0.33 SE = 0.10 in the spring 2017). RABV cases also reduced in the enzootic area (from ψ ¯ of 0.60 SE = 0.03 in the spring of 2006 to ψ ¯ of 0.45 SE = 0.05 in the spring 2017). Although RABV occurrence was related to habitat type, greater impacts were associated with ORV and trap–vaccinate–release (TVR) campaigns, in addition to seasonal and yearly trends. Reductions in RABV occupancy were more pronounced in areas treated with Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB) compared to RABORAL V-RG®. Our approach tracked changes in RABV occurrence across space and time, identified risk corridors for potential incursions into Canada, and highlighted surveillance gaps, while evaluating the impacts of management actions. Using this approach, we are able to provide guidance for future RABV management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, the main reservoir and vector of rabies has been the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Oral immunization of foxes with live vaccines, using attenuated rabies strains (SAD B19, SAD Bern), apathogenic mutants of an attenuated strain (SAG2) and the vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine (V-RG), has been shown to be the most effective method for the control and elimination of rabies. Among all vaccines currently used for wildlife oral vaccination, one vaccine (marketed as SAD Bern strain) has been widely used in Europe since 1992 with the distribution of 17million of baits in 2011. Because of the potential environmental safety risk of a live virus which could revert to virulence, the full genome sequencing of this vaccine was undertaken and the sequence was characterized and compared with those of referenced rabies viruses. The vaccine showed higher similarity to the strains belonging to the SAD B19 vaccine virus strains than to the SAD Bern vaccines. This study is the first one reporting on virus strain identity changes in this attenuated vaccine., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)