Zoonotic and economically significant pathogens of peri-urban wild dogs across north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana Harriott ◽  
Matthew Gentle ◽  
Rebecca Traub ◽  
Ricardo J. Soares Magalhães ◽  
Rowland Cobbold

Context Peri-urban wild dogs are known to reside within high-risk and densely populated regions and are capable of harbouring a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Despite recognising the potential of peri-urban wild dogs to carry zoonotic pathogens, limited prevalence data are currently available to assist in understanding the potential risks that peri-urban wild dogs pose within developed communities. Aims The aim of the present research was to establish the current status of key zoonotic and economically significant pathogens in peri-urban wild dogs. Methods Two hundred and one peri-urban wild dog cadavers were collected from south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. In addition, whole blood, serum and faecal samples were also collected. Pathogens were identified through several morphological, microbiological and molecular methods. Key results Helminth parasites were detected within 79.6% of peri-urban wild dogs; Echinococcus granulosus was the most common pathogen, with adult worms being detected within 50.7 ± 6.9% of intestines, followed by Spirometra erinacei (36.6 ± 6.4%); hookworms, including Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala (28.8 ± 7.1%); Toxocara canis (5.4 ± 3.1%) and Taenia spp., including T. serialis and T. pisiformis (4.5 ± 2.8%). Bacterial pathogens detected included methicillin-resistant Escherichia coli (20.0 ± 10.1%), Salmonella spp. (3.7 ± 4.0%) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (3.3 ± 2.7%). Conclusions The present study is the most comprehensive investigation of zoonotic pathogen carriage in peri-urban wild dogs in Australia. Parasitic infections in peri-urban wild dogs are common, with tapeworms representing the majority of intestinal pathogens. Important zoonotic bacterial pathogens are carried by peri-urban wild dogs, although at a much lower prevalence than are parasites. Implications The presence of these pathogens in free-ranging peri-urban dog populations suggests a strong potential for public health risk, most notably from E. granulosus. These data are inherently important as baseline information, which is essential to guide risk-based management of peri-urban wild dog impacts.

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJS Fleming ◽  
JA Thompson ◽  
HI Nicol

The efficacy of aerial baiting with 1080 poison (sodium fluoroacetate) for the control of wild dogs (Canis familiaris familiaris and C. familiaris dingo) in the temperate rangelands of north-eastern New South Wales was studied. In each year from 1991 to 1993, 2 indices of the abundance of dogs, one a raw count of sets of footprints per km of transect (SF) and the other an ln-transformed frequency corrected for sightability of signs (CI), were used to quantify the changes in abundance caused by aerial baiting. Abundance of dogs at a nil-treatment site was estimated concurrently. The SF index found the 1991 baiting to be efficacious. Both measures of abundance showed baiting to be efficacious in 1992 and 1993. Reductions of 66.3-84.5% in the abundance of dogs at the treatment site were found for the CI measure. The SF measure displayed abundance changes of 76.1-91.1%. The indices of abundance measured prior to the annual baiting in 1992 and 1993 were similar, indicating that populations returned to their initial abundance within 1 year.


1991 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Thompson ◽  
PJS Fleming

Aerial baitjng for the management of wild dogs in north-eastern New South Wales is carried out in nine Rural Lands Protection Board districts covering coastal and tablelands environments. A survey of participants in the 1988 aerial baiting programme costed the total operation at $106,152. Labour ($36,418) and helicopter hiring charges ($35,693) accounted for over 70 per cent of the costs borne by local and regional control authorities. A total of 24,285 kg of meat (approx. 105,500 baits) valued at $21,018 was used. The average cost of the programme was $4.21 per kg of bait used. Total baiting costs can be accurately predicted from bait quantity. The cost, to individual producers, of aerial baiting for wild dogs, when compared with expected livestock losses without this form of management, suggests that aerial baiting is cost-beneficial.


1949 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Bearup ◽  
J. J. Lawrence ◽  
G. A. M. Heydon

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
WM Blowes ◽  
WA Heather ◽  
N Malajczuk ◽  
SR Shea

Native forest at Durras in south-eastern New South Wales and Jarrahdale in south-western Western Australia was examined for the presence of Phytophthora cinnamomi by two sampling and isolation techniques. With the lupin seeding baiting technique, randomly selected samples of soil and fine roots collected from the New South Wales site yielded P. cinnamomi when baited, while similar baiting of comparable samples from Western Australia failed. Direct plating of samples of upper roots and root collars of recently dead Banksia grandis from Western Australian sites yielded P. cinnamomi, while this organism was not isolated from comparable samples of chlorotic Macrozamia communis collected at the New South Wales site. The results suggest that the form of occurrence of P. cinnamomi and its association with disease in Australia vary in different situations. Viewing each situation independently might ensure the adoption of control/prevention strategies appropriate to all.


2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Harris ◽  
RL Goldingay

THE eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) has an extensive distribution, from south-eastern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia, and also into Tasmania (Strahan 1995). Despite this it is rarely detected in fauna surveys (Bowen and Goldingay 2000). This rarity in detection suggested that the species may be characterised by small and isolated populations, and therefore vulnerable to extinction. Consequently, it became listed as a 'Vulnerable' species in New South Wales (NSW) in 2001. Unless resolved, the low rate of detection of C. nanus will continue to hinder the acquisition of basic ecological information that is needed to more clearly define its conservation status and that is fundamental to the development of a recovery plan. An extensive body of survey data for NSW involving C. nanus has been reviewed by Bowen and Goldingay (2000). Among a range of survey methods aimed at detecting this species, trapping within flowering banksias and checking installed nest-boxes had the highest rates of detection. Indeed, one study in northern NSW captured 98 individuals over a 3- year period from within nest-boxes (Bladon et al. 2002). All other studies detected fewer than 15 C. nanus. It is clear that further research is required to investigate the effectiveness of a range of detection methods.


1976 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Elix

Parmelia (subgen. Xanthoparmelia) barbatica, Parmelia (subgen. Xanthoparmelia) burmeisterii and Parmelia (subgen. Xanthoparmelia) pseudohypoleia are described as new from the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. The former two species are the first representatives of this subgenus to be described in which usnic acid, barbatic acid and 4-O-demethylbarbatic acid are the major secondary metabolites.


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