First report of dermatophilosis in wild European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)

The carcases of two wild red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from Anglesey, North Wales, which had severe skin lesions, were presented to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. One was found dead in December 2017 and the second was found moribund in January 2018 but died 2 hours later. Both were examined at postmortem. The affected skin consisted of raised, firm, crusty lesions with pale subcutaneous necrotic tissue over the head particularly the face, eyelids and forehead. In addition, one had similar lesions on the scrotal and perineal area and along one hind leg extending to the foot. Postmortem examination, bacteriology and histopathology confirmed the presence of disease due to Dermatophilus congolensis with typical gross and pathological lesions. Squirrelpox virus was not detected. Here, we report the first description of dermatophilosis in European red squirrels, another important differential diagnosis of skin disease in a nationally declining population.

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Squirrelpox Virus in Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in the Republic of Ireland

Journal of Wildlife Diseases ◽

10.7589/2013-04-086 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 1070-1073 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Favel Naulty ◽

David Everest ◽

Neil D. Warnock ◽

Kevin Phelan ◽

John J. Callanan

Keyword(s):

Sciurus Vulgaris ◽

Red Squirrels ◽

Republic Of Ireland ◽

The Republic ◽

Squirrelpox Virus

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Host-pathogen dynamics of squirrelpox virus infection in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)

Veterinary Microbiology ◽

10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.10.012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 182 ◽

pp. 18-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C. Fiegna ◽

M.P. Dagleish ◽

L. Coulter ◽

E. Milne ◽

A. Meredith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virus Infection ◽

Sciurus Vulgaris ◽

Red Squirrels ◽

Pathogen Dynamics ◽

Host Pathogen ◽

Squirrelpox Virus

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Epidemics of squirrelpox virus disease in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris): temporal and serological findings

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268808000836 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 137 (2) ◽

pp. 257-265 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

B. CARROLL ◽

P. RUSSELL ◽

J. GURNELL ◽

P. NETTLETON ◽

A. W. SAINSBURY

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Captive Breeding ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Experimental Investigations ◽

Sciurus Vulgaris ◽

Free Living ◽

Red Squirrels ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Squirrelpox Virus

SUMMARYSquirrelpox virus (SQPV) causes a fatal disease in free-living red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) which has contributed to their decline in the United Kingdom. Given the difficulty of carrying out and funding experimental investigations on free-living wild mammals, data collected from closely monitored natural outbreaks of disease is crucial to our understanding of disease epidemiology. A conservation programme was initiated in the 1990s to bolster the population of red squirrels in the coniferous woodland of Thetford Chase, East Anglia. In 1996, 24 red squirrels were reintroduced to Thetford from Northumberland and Cumbria, while in 1999 a captive breeding and release programme commenced, but in both years the success of the projects was hampered by an outbreak of SQPV disease in which seven and four red squirrels died respectively. Valuable information on the host–pathogen dynamics of SQPV disease was gathered by telemetric and mark–recapture monitoring of the red squirrels. SQPV disease characteristics were comparable to other virulent poxviral infections: the incubation period was <15 days; the course of the disease an average of 10 days and younger animals were significantly more susceptible to disease. SQPV disease places the conservation of the red squirrel in jeopardy in the United Kingdom unless practical disease control methods can be identified.

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Hepatozoon in Eurasian red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris, its taxonomic identity, and phylogenetic placement

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-021-07229-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David Modrý ◽

Lada Hofmannová ◽

Petr Papežík ◽

Karolina Majerová ◽

Jan Votýpka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sciurus Vulgaris ◽

Red Squirrels ◽

Phylogenetic Placement

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On Using a Mobile Application to Support Teledermatology: A Case Study in an Underprivileged Area in Colombia

International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications ◽

10.1155/2018/1496941 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Juan Pablo Sáenz ◽

Mónica Paola Novoa ◽

Darío Correal ◽

Bell Raj Eapen

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Mobile Applications ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Correct Diagnosis ◽

Skin Lesions ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Combined Use ◽

Forest Regions ◽

The Face

Background. The use of mobile applications in dermatology to support remote diagnosis is gaining acceptance, particularly in rural areas, where dermatology services are commonly managed by healthcare personnel with no specialty training. Moreover, ontologies—sets of concepts that represent knowledge in a given domain—are increasingly being used to support medical diagnosis. A specific case is ONTODerm: an ontology to aid dermatological diagnosis. However, there is little information on the combined use of mobile applications and ontologies as support solutions in dermatology. Objective. Assessing the reliability of ONTODerm as a tool to support remote dermatological diagnosis when used together with a mobile dermatological application in underprivileged areas. Methods. A mobile application that allows characterization of skin lesions was developed, and the information about the lesions was sent to ONTODerm. An exploratory study was conducted in a remote area without access to a dermatologist. A total of 64 dermatological queries were recorded in the application and consulted with ONTODerm. Later, an experienced dermatologist evaluated the characterization and diagnosis of each query to determine the accuracy of the system. Results. The results showed that the probability of obtaining a correct diagnosis was between 64.4% and 85.6% with a confidence interval of 95%. A higher accuracy rate was obtained when the skin lesion occurred on the face or when its border was categorized as poorly demarcated. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the implementation of a teledermatology strategy based on mobile applications and domain ontology-driven knowledge base to provide timely assistance to healthcare professionals. This approach was found to be pertinent in the Colombian rural context, particularly in forest regions, where dermatology specialists are not available. The results of this article do not represent a final validation of the proposed approach; they suggest how the ontology can be improved to effectively support medical staff in marginalized regions.

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