Rickettsia parkeri in free-ranging wild canids from Brazilian Pampa

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. e224-e230 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Dall'Agnol ◽  
U. A. Souza ◽  
B. Weck ◽  
T. C. Trigo ◽  
M. M. A. Jardim ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley P. Smith ◽  
Teghan A. Lucas ◽  
Rachel M. Norris ◽  
Maciej Henneberg

Endocranial volume was measured in a large sample (n = 128) of free-ranging dingoes (Canis dingo) where body size was known. The brain/body size relationship in the dingoes was compared with populations of wild (Family Canidae) and domestic canids (Canis familiaris). Despite a great deal of variation among wild and domestic canids, the brain/body size of dingoes forms a tight cluster within the variation of domestic dogs. Like dogs, free-ranging dingoes have paedomorphic crania; however, dingoes have a larger brain and are more encephalised than most domestic breeds of dog. The dingo’s brain/body size relationship was similar to those of other mesopredators (medium-sized predators that typically prey on smaller animals), including the dhole (Cuon alpinus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). These findings have implications for the antiquity and classification of the dingo, as well as the impact of feralisation on brain size. At the same time, it highlights the difficulty in using brain/body size to distinguish wild and domestic canids.


Author(s):  
Sheelagh Lloyd ◽  
Eric R. Morgan

Toxocara canis and the syndromes of visceral and ocular larva migrans (VLM, OLM), covert toxocarosis, and neurological toxocarosis are described. Other potential agents, particularly Toxocara cati and Baylisascaris procyonis , are described. The transmission dynamics of toxocarosis to humans have never been fully elucidated, but the potential roles of pet and stray dogs, foxes, cats, and the influence of their population densities, and age demographies, are discussed in relation to contamination of the environment with eggs. Routes of infection with eggs by geophagia, poor hygiene outdoors and with dogs, and fly-borne contamination of food, and meat-borne ingestion of larvae are described. The development of prolonged in vitro culture and analyses of T. canis larval excretions/secretions (TES) and surface antigens helped explain the importance of the rapid production and shedding of TES in the prolonged course of infection and pathogenesis of disease. TES also have greatly improved serodiagnosis. However, we still have insufficient understanding of differences in the aetiology of the larvae or differences in immune responses among individuals to account for development of VLM, covert toxocarosis, or OLM in different individuals. Our understanding of the immunopathological response of the host to TES has emphasized the need for anti-inflammatory therapy in treatment; unfortunately, less information is available on the true efficacy of the anthelmintics available. The complexity of the T. canis life cycle in dogs is described and therapeutic regimens to prevent excretion of eggs by pet dogs are given. This, plus adequate control or exclusion of stray or wild canids from a property could prevent most cases of VLM. Control of infection from free-ranging stray dogs, cats and foxes, will be difficult and more data are needed to clarify the importance of these and of fly-borne and meat-borne transfer of infection to humans for control.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 182008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arjun Srivathsa ◽  
Mahi Puri ◽  
Krithi K. Karanth ◽  
Imran Patel ◽  
N. Samba Kumar

Many carnivores inhabit human-dominated landscapes outside protected reserves. Spatially explicit assessments of carnivore distributions and livestock depredation patterns in human-use landscapes are crucial for minimizing negative interactions and fostering coexistence between people and predators. India harbours 23% of the world's carnivore species that share space with 1.3 billion people in approximately 2.3% of the global land area. We examined carnivore distributions and human–carnivore interactions in a multi-use forest landscape in central India. We focused on five sympatric carnivore species: Indian grey wolf Canis lupus pallipes , dhole Cuon alpinus , Indian jackal Canis aureus indicus , Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis and striped hyena Hyaena hyaena . Carnivore occupancy ranged from 12% for dholes to 86% for jackals, mostly influenced by forests, open scrublands and terrain ruggedness. Livestock/poultry depredation probability in the landscape ranged from 21% for dholes to greater than 95% for jackals, influenced by land cover and livestock- or poultry-holding. The five species also showed high spatial overlap with free-ranging dogs, suggesting potential competitive interactions and disease risks, with consequences for human health and safety. Our study provides insights on factors that facilitate and impede co-occurrence between people and predators. Spatial prioritization of carnivore-rich areas and conflict-prone locations could facilitate human–carnivore coexistence in shared habitats. Our framework is ideally suited for making socio-ecological assessments of human–carnivore interactions in other multi-use landscapes and regions, worldwide.


2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duško Ćirović ◽  
Aleksandra Penezić ◽  
Ivan Pavlović ◽  
Zoran Kulišić ◽  
Nada Ćosić ◽  
...  

Dirofilaria repens causes an emerging zoonotic disease in Europe, particularly in its southern part, the Mediterranean region. Many reports on human dirofilariosis have been published recently, but little is known about the wildlife hosts and reservoirs of this parasite in nature. This paper presents the first records of adult D. repens specimens from free-ranging carnivores in Central Balkan countries (Serbia and Macedonia). During the period 2009–2013, a total of 145 regularly shot canids were examined for the presence of D. repens adults. In order to investigate their role as hosts and potential wild reservoirs of this zoonosis, 71 wolves (Canis lupus), 48 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 26 jackals (Canis aureus) were examined. Under the skin of two wolves (one from Serbia and one from Macedonia) and of a red fox from Serbia D. repens adults were found. In all three cases only one parasite was present. Further research on wild canids is needed, particularly on species widening their range (such as jackals) and those living near human settlements (foxes and jackals), which facilitates the transmission of the parasites to dogs and humans.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 734-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaís C.S. Rodrigues ◽  
André L.Q. Santos ◽  
Anna M.C. Lima-Ribeiro ◽  
Frederico G. Lemos ◽  
Fernanda C. Azevedo ◽  
...  

Abstract: The Brazilian savanna, also known as Cerrado, is one of the world's richest and most ecologically invaluable tropical savanna regions. There are few studies in Brazil about the diseases that affect the wild canids of this biome, which may be harmful to wildlife populations and public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in three Cerrado wild canids species using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Serum samples were tested from 19 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), 14 maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and seven hoary foxes (Lycalopex vetulus), all free-ranging animals found in the municipalities of Araguari and Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, and Cumari, Goiás State, Brazil. Fourteen (35%) of these samples were seropositive. The most frequent serovars detected in the samples were Copenhageni and Hardjo, but reactions to the serovars Autumnalis, Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis, Wolffi, and Icterohaemorrhagiae also occurred. Notwithstanding other reported results, this study is the first to report the presence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in L. vetulus. The three species of wild canids examined may act as potential hosts for several serovars of leptospira in Brazil's savanna environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1337-1342
Author(s):  
Viviane Kelin de Souza ◽  
Bruno Dall’Agnol ◽  
Ugo Araújo Souza ◽  
Anelise Webster ◽  
Felipe Bortolotto Peters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 2070-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Oehler ◽  
John A. Litvaitis

Increased predation has been suggested as a proximate factor causing the decline of vertebrate diversity in many human-altered landscapes. Previous studies on this topic have provided conflicting results, perhaps as a consequence of the limited spatial scale used in these investigations. We incorporated a multiscaled approach (using site, plot (1.44 km2), and landscape (54 km2)) to investigate the distribution of activity of medium-sized carnivores relative to habitat edges and the numeric responses of these predators to habitat diversity. Among the taxa surveyed, raccoons (Procyon lotor) did not show an affinity for habitat edges at any spatial scale. However, raccoons were more abundant in landscapes characterized by a diversity of cover types. Free-ranging domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis domesticus) did not respond to the proximity of habitat edges in summer but showed a strong affinity for edge habitats (especially those associated with human dwellings) during winter. Wild canids (Vulpes vulpes and Canis latrans) also selected sites in close proximity to edges in winter and were more abundant in diverse landscapes. Although human-dominated habitats (agricultural areas, grass–brushland, and developed sites) represented only 7–27% of the three landscapes studied, populations of generalist predators (raccoons and wild canids) increased as landscapes became more diverse. As a result, even moderate levels of habitat fragmentation may elevate predation rates and subsequently alter the composition of prey communities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-588
Author(s):  
G.J.S. Uzai ◽  
C.P. Monteiro ◽  
R. Soares ◽  
M.A. Silva ◽  
A.R. Oliveira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of diseases in free-ranging wild canids that were roadkill on highways in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. PCR tests were performed for the detection of Brucella sp., Babesia sp., Rangelia sp., and Hepatozoon sp. in the spleen. Morphological evaluation and identification of parasites was performed in the liver and lung. Twenty specimens of C. thous were necropsied at the Animal Pathology Sector of the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. Tissue samples were processed for histopathological examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. There was no PCR amplification of genomic DNA sequences of Brucella sp., Babesia sp., Rangelia sp., and Hepatozoon sp. using DNA extracted from the spleen as template. Histologically, lesions associated with parasitism by Platynosomum sp. and Angiostrongylus sp. were observed in the liver and lung, respectively. This is the first report of Platynosomum sp. and Angiostrongylus sp. parasitism in C. thous in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Therefore, this study demonstrated parasitism of crab-eating foxes by Platynosomum sp. and Angiostrongylus sp. Importantly, no evidence of infection with Brucella sp., Babesia sp., Rangelia sp., and Hepatozoon sp. was obtained by PCR analysis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
pp. 573-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. FLEISCHMAN ◽  
B. B. CHOMEL ◽  
R. W. KASTEN ◽  
M. R. ANDRÉ ◽  
L. R. GONÇALVES ◽  
...  

SUMMARYWild canids are potential hosts for numerous species of Bartonella, yet little research has been done to quantify their infection rates in South America. We sought to investigate Bartonella seroprevalence in captive wild canids from 19 zoos in São Paulo and Mato Grosso states, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 97 wild canids belonging to four different native species and three European wolves (Canis lupus). Indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing was performed to detect the presence of B. henselae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. clarridgeiae, and B. rochalimae. Overall, Bartonella antibodies were detected in 11 of the canids, including five (12·8%) of 39 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), three (11·1%) of 27 bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), two (8·7%) of 23 maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and one (12·5%) of eight hoary foxes (Lycalopex vetulus), with titres ranging from 1:64 to 1:512. Knowing that many species of canids make excellent reservoir hosts for Bartonella, and that there is zoonotic potential for all Bartonella spp. tested for, it will be important to conduct further research in non-captive wild canids to gain an accurate understanding of Bartonella infection in free-ranging wild canids in South America.


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