Coronaviruses of wild animals in Russia

The review considers wild animal coronaviruses that live in Russia and present certain epidemic and epizootic risks. It is believed that coronaviruses entered the human population from representatives of the wild fauna and bats (the main hosts are natural reservoirs), as well as snakes, pangolins, civets, camels (intermediate hosts) are proposed as candidates. Meanwhile, this list is much wider and the intermediate link may be feline (tigers, leopards, Pallas’s cats, caracals, European wildcat and eurasian lynxs), mustelidae (american minks, ferrets and siberian weasel), rodents (mice and rats), marine mammals (harbour seal, bottlenose dolphin and beluga whale), as well as insectivores, namely hedgehogs (European, Amur and other species). The majority (60-75 %) of viral pathogens enter the human population from animals, of which at least 70% are wild. The influence of the exploitation of wild animals by mankind on the appearance of pandemics has been observed, which in itself provokes the emergence of new viruses in nature. Flora and fauna, adapting to the growing anthropogenic impact, are geographically redistributed.

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China's Legal Response to Trafficking in Wild Animals: The Relationship between International Treaties and Chinese Law

AJIL Unbound ◽

10.1017/aju.2017.104 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 111 ◽

pp. 408-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiwen Chang

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Food Culture ◽

Wild Animals ◽

International Treaties ◽

Ecological Civilization ◽

Animal Products ◽

Wild Fauna ◽

The Government ◽

Bear Bile

In China, the wild animals and animal products that are sold through illegal trafficking are mainly those that can be made into medicines; are raw materials in the form of ivory, rhinoceros horns, and turtle shells; and are edible or have ornamental value, such as birds, monkeys, turtles, and lizards. Due to its rapid economic development over the past decade, China has become one of the world's largest wildlife markets. The main reasons for trafficking are a lack of viable substitutes for raw materials used in traditional Chinese medicines (e.g., bear bile, bear bile powder, pangolin, and other products); a preference in traditional food culture for delicacies made from wildlife; and of the private consumption by some rich and corrupt government officials of tiger's meat, bear's paw, pangolin and other wild animal products—bear's paw and pangolin being the most popular. This type of wild animal trafficking endangers the safety of animal species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and damages the international image of the government and people of China. Since 2013, under the frame of construction of ecological civilization, China has taken stricter measures on legislation, administrative enforcement, judicial adjudication, and international cooperation on prevention and punishment of illegal trafficking.

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Maxillofacial Injuries in Bear, Tiger, and Jackal Attacks

Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction Open ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1678671 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. s-0039-1678671

Author(s):

Kishor Bhandari ◽

Ishfa Banu Haque ◽

Bandana Khanal ◽

Sandhya Joshi ◽

Kalu Singh Khatri

Keyword(s):

Human Population ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soft Tissue Injuries ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Primary Site ◽

Western Region ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Maxillofacial Injuries ◽

Facial Region ◽

Physical Barriers

Maxillofacial injuries as a result of wild animals attack are not commonly encountered and reported in the literature. Factors such as increasing human population near forest and lack of dependable physical barriers between forest and human habitations lead to frequently encountered incidents of wild animal attacks over humans especially in far western region of Nepal. The authors present two cases of bear attacks, one case of tiger attack, and one case of jackal attack and explain the pattern of maxillofacial injuries encountered along with management strategies undertaken. It was observed that the primary site of attacks of these wild animals was facial region. The magnitude of force with which bears and tigers attack over facial region with their paws can cause significant skeletal injuries irrespective of soft tissue injuries.

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Domestication of wild animals may provide a springboard for rapid variation of coronavirus

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.1515/biol-2021-0027 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 252-254

Author(s):

Lei Gao

Keyword(s):

Intermediate Host ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Intermediate Hosts ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

Rapid Variation ◽

Cross Breeding ◽

Important Direction ◽

Animal Hosts

Abstract Coronaviruses have spread widely among humans and other animals, but not all coronaviruses carried by specific animals can directly infect other kinds of animals. Viruses from most animal hosts need an intermediate host before they can spread widely among humans. Under natural conditions, coronaviruses do not rapidly change from infecting wild animals as intermediate hosts and to spreading widely among humans. The intermediate host might be the animals captured or bred for the purpose of cross-breeding with domesticated species for improvement of the breed. These animals differ from wild animals at the environmental and genetic levels. It is an important direction to study the semi-wild animals domesticated by humans in search for intermediate hosts of viruses widely spread among humans.

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Multidrug Resistance Dissemination in Escherichia coli Isolated from Wild Animals: Bacterial Clones and Plasmid Complicity

Microbiology Research ◽

10.3390/microbiolres12010009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 123-137

Author(s):

Carolina Sabença ◽

Gilberto Igrejas ◽

Patrícia Poeta ◽

Frédéric Robin ◽

Richard Bonnet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Generation Cephalosporin ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Variable Regions ◽

E Coli ◽

Wild Fauna ◽

Long Read ◽

Sequence Types ◽

Animal Isolates

Objectives. Epidemiological data concerning third-generation cephalosporin (3GC) resistance in wild fauna are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the resistance genes, their genetic context, and clonal relatedness in 17 Escherichia coli resistant to 3GC isolated from wild animals. Methods. The isolates were characterized by short-read whole genome sequencing, and long-read sequencing was used for the hybrid assembly of plasmid sequences. Results. The 3GC resistance gene most identified in the isolates was the extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-encoding gene blaCTX-M-1 (82.3%), followed by blaCTX-M-32 (5.9%), blaCTX-M-14 (5.9%), and blaSHV-12 (5.9%). E. coli isolates mainly belonged to the sequence types (STs) rarely reported from humans. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based typing showed that most E. coli genomes from wild animals (wild boars, birds of prey, and buzzards) formed clonal clusters (<5 SNPs), showing a clonal dissemination crossing species boundaries. blaCTX-M-1-harboring IncI1-ST3 plasmid was the predominant ESBL-encoding plasmid (76.4%) in wild animal isolates. Plasmid comparison revealed a 110-kb self-transferable plasmid consisting of a conserved backbone and two variable regions involved in antimicrobial resistance and in interaction with recipient cells during conjugation. Conclusion. Our results highlighted the unexpected clonal dissemination of blaCTX-M-1-encoding clones and the complicity of IncI1-ST3 plasmid in the spread of blaCTX-M-1 within wild fauna.

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A voice for wild animals: Collaborative governance and human–wildlife conflict

Alternative Law Journal ◽

10.1177/1037969x18792960 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 257-262

Author(s):

Katie Woolaston

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Natural Resource Management ◽

Regulatory Mechanism ◽

Collaborative Governance ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Wild Animals ◽

New Governance ◽

Collaborative Processes ◽

The World ◽

Human Wildlife Conflict

Animal lawyers in Australia and around the world often struggle to find room in law to participate in decision-making and give animals a voice. Collaborative governance is a regulatory mechanism that has the potential to overcome this struggle. This ‘new governance’ is of growing importance in environmental and natural resource management, premised on decentralised decision-making and removal of permanent hierarchies. This article will utilise two case studies to outline the benefits of legally integrated collaborative processes for wild animal welfare, including the allocation of a permanent voice in regulation for animal advocates and the ability to promote internalisation of animal-friendly norms.

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The Impact of ‘Selfie’ Tourism on the Behaviour and Welfare of Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloths

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani8110216 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 216 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gemma Carder ◽

Tinka Plese ◽

Fernando Machado ◽

Suzanne Paterson ◽

Neil Matthews ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Future Study ◽

Average Duration ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Different Types ◽

Bradypus Variegatus ◽

Focal Observation ◽

The Impact ◽

Physical Manipulation

The use of wild animals as photo props is prevalent across the globe and is widely recognised to represent a potential animal welfare concern. However, detailed information regarding the specific impacts of such activity on wild animal behaviour is currently lacking. Herein, we investigated how brown-throated three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) were handled by tourists, and how sloths behaved during wildlife ‘selfies’ taken in Manaus, Brazil and Puerto Alegria and Iquitos in Peru. In total, we observed 17 sloths (during 70 focal observations) that were provided for use in wildlife selfies on 34 different tours. We found that an average number of 5 people held each sloth during each focal observation. For 48.6% of the time the sloths were handled in a way which involved physical manipulation of the sloths’ head and/or limbs and/or being held by the claws. From the eight different types of sloth behaviour observed, we found that the two types performed for the longest average duration of time were surveillance (55.3%) and limb stretching (12.6%). Our findings show that when being handled sloths were frequently held in ways that may compromise their welfare. Although to date the behaviour of sloths while being handled has not been reported in any published literature, in this study we document certain behaviours which may act as indicators of compromised welfare. We suggest that our data provides a potential baseline for future study into the behaviour and welfare of sloths.

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Molecular identification of Toxoplasma gondii in roadkill wild animals in Yucatan, Mexico

Veterinaria México OA ◽

10.22201/fmvz.24486760e.2019.1.511 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marco Antonio Torres-Castro ◽

Rodrigo Adán Medina-Pinto ◽

Henry René Noh-Pech ◽

Fernando I. Puerto ◽

Roger Iván Rodríguez-Vivas

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Animal Health ◽

Negative Control ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Intermediate Hosts ◽

Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Muscle Sample ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Lung Sample

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, recognized as the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic endemic disease in several countries, including Mexico. In the Yucatan State of Mexico, Toxoplasma infection has a high impact in both human and domestic animal health. Wild animals can also host zoonotic pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii. The presence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in roadkill wild animals in Yucatan was detected using a nested Polymerase Chain Reaction. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was identified in several organs retrieved from a Yucatan squirrel (Sciurus yucatanensis), a coatimundi (Nasua narica), and a greater grison (Galictis vittata). The amplified fragments of Toxoplasma gondii DNA were purified, sequenced, and certified by BLAST analysis. Our results confirm that Toxoplasma gondii can infect wild mammals from Yucatan, which could act as intermediate hosts and contribute to the transmission of the disease to humans and domestic animals, as well as other wild animal species. We present the first molecular evidence of Toxoplasma gondii in a squirrel and a coatimundi from Yucatan, and quite possibly in a greater grison at a global level.Figure 1. Agarose gel presenting PCR amplicons (560 bp) positive to Toxoplasma gondii. 1) C+: positive control; A: Yucatan squirrel liver sample; B: great grison femoral muscle sample; C: coatimundi kidney sample; C-: negative control. 2) A: Yucatan squirrel brain sample; B: great grison lung sample; C-: negative control.

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Schistosomiasis in the Senegal River Basin: before and after the construction of the dams at Diama, Senegal and Manantali, Mali and future prospects

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x00015790 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 125-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

V.R. Southgate

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Human Population ◽

Sea Water ◽

Intermediate Hosts ◽

Senegal River ◽

Human Schistosomiasis ◽

Ecological Changes ◽

Before And After ◽

Senegal River Basin ◽

New Habitats

AbstractEcological changes in the Senegal River Basin (SRB) resulting from the construction of a barrage at Diama, Senegal on the Senegal River to prevent the intrusion of sea water into the river, and a dam at Manantali, Mali on the Bafing River to control the flow of water and to generate electricity, have been responsible for changes in the epidemiology of human schistosomiasis. The introduction of Schistosoma mansoni into the Lower and Middle Valleys of the SRB and subsequent spread of the parasite in the human population is recorded with regard to prevalence and intensity. New foci of S. haematobium are described. The reduction in salinity and change from an acidic to an alkaline environment in the water are beneficial to both the fecundity and growth of freshwater snails and transmission of the parasite. The creation of new irrigation canals and expansion of the rice fields have provided new habitats for intermediate hosts to colonize. The evidence for praziquantel resistance/tolerance by populations of S. mansoni and the possibilities of the development, production and testing of a vaccine against human schistosomiasis are discussed. Future studies will monitor the spread of human urinary and mesenteric schistosomiasis in the SRB, will evaluate further the presence of praziquantel resistance/tolerance in S. mansoni, will examine the heavily infected human population for pathological symptoms and determine the most appropriate methods to control this severe outbreak of human schistosomiasis.

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The gut microbiota of wild rodents: Challenges and opportunities

Laboratory Animals ◽

10.1177/0023677218787538 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (3) ◽

pp. 252-258 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mark Viney

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Critical Assessment ◽

Laboratory Animals ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Major Study ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

The Many

The gut microbiota can have important, wide-ranging effects on its host. To date, laboratory animals, particularly mice, have been the major study system for microbiota research. It is now becoming increasingly clear that laboratory animals often poorly model aspects of the biology of wild animals, and this concern extends to the study of the gut microbiota. Here, the relatively few studies of the microbiota of wild rodents are reviewed, including a critical assessment of how the gut microbiota differs between laboratory and wild rodents. Finally, the many potential advantages and opportunities of wild-animal systems for research into the gut microbiota are considered.

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A Global Review of Animal–Visitor Interactions in Modern Zoos and Aquariums and Their Implications for Wild Animal Welfare

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9060332 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 332 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Neil D’Cruze ◽

Sophie Khan ◽

Gemma Carder ◽

David Megson ◽

Emma Coulthard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Apparent Lack ◽

Global Prevalence ◽

Taxonomic Class ◽

Insight Into

We provide an initial insight into the occurrence and characteristics of animal-visitor interactions (AVIs) involving captive wild animals within zoos and aquaria. Using information provided online via official public websites of modern zoos and aquaria, we found that AVIs were provided by the majority of facilities. Our study revealed that a variety of AVI types were being offered. Globally, petting captive wild animals was the most prevalent AVI type advertised (n = 1241 observations, 43% (534) of facilities) and Mammalia was the most advertised taxonomic class (n = 5142; 53% (2739)). We found certain AVI types that were more commonly offered than predicted. These were opportunities to: (1) Hand feed captive wild animals in Asia, North America and Oceania; (2) ride wild animals in Europe and North America; (3) walk with or swim through wild animal enclosures in Asia; and (4) walk with wild animals in Asia and Europe. Given the global prevalence of AVIs in modern zoos and aquaria, and an apparent lack of animal welfare focused research, we provide recommendations to help effectively balance and manage captive wild animal welfare with other primary interconnected goals.

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