scholarly journals Effects of dietary kelp (Ascophylum nodosum) supplementation on survival rate and reproductive performance of mink challenged with Aleutian mink disease virus

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hossain Farid ◽  
Nancy J. Smith ◽  
Margot B. White

Infection with Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) has negative effects on reproductive performance and survival rate of American mink (Neovison vison). The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of kelp (Ascophylum nodosum) supplementation on survival, growth rate, and reproductive performance of mink challenged with AMDV. AMDV-free female black mink (n = 75) were intranasally inoculated with a local AMDV strain. Mink were fed a commercial pellet supplemented with 1.5% or 0.75% kelp or were kept as controls (received no kelp) for 451 d. Body weight and rectal temperature were recorded on days 0, 31, 56, 99, 155, 366, and 451 post inoculation (PI). Annual mortality rates were 13.6%, 20.0%, and 31.8% for mink fed 1.5%, 0.75%, or 0.0% kelp, respectively (P = 0.29). Mink which were fed 1.5% kelp had a significantly (P < 0.01) greater daily weight loss during breeding and post-breeding periods (days 155–366 PI), and outperformed (P < 0.01) the other groups in regard to litter sizes at birth and weaning. Differences among treatments were not significant for the number of females mated, or whelped of those exposed to males, kit survival from birth to weaning, or rectal temperature. It was concluded that 1.5% kelp supplementation had beneficial effects on survival rate of adult mink and litter size.

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 689-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Bowman ◽  
Anne G. Kidd ◽  
Larissa A. Nituch ◽  
Carrie Sadowski ◽  
Albrecht I. Schulte-Hostedde

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12060
Author(s):  
Remigiusz Panicz ◽  
Piotr Eljasik ◽  
Jakub Skorupski ◽  
Przemysław Śmietana ◽  
Róbert A. Stefánsson ◽  
...  

Background Recurring escapes or deliberate releases and subsequent infiltration or establishment of feral populations by individuals from fur farms have been commonly noted since the beginning of fur industry expansion. Once animals have invaded ecosystems adjacent to source farms escapees can change the demography of the feral populations through hybridization, outbreeding depression, competition and spreading of various pathogens which can decimate wild populations. In our study, we aimed to assess spread of Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) in the feral population of American mink (Neovison vison) in Iceland. The additional objective was to elucidate whether basic morpho-anatomical parameters (i.e., Fulton’s condition factor or spleen to body weight ratio) might be used as a preliminary indicator of AMDV infection. Methods American mink (n = 164) were captured by professional hunters in 8 regions of Iceland. The detection of AMDV in the spleen of male and female individuals was based on PCR amplification of an NS1 gene fragment. Results We confirmed AMDV presence in 23.8% (n = 39) of collected samples with no significant difference in infection rate between males and females. Additionally, we revealed that the prevalence of virus in the feral population was higher closer to fur farms. However, the countrywide prevalence and direction of AMDV distribution needs to be further investigated. Comparison of condition indices in non-infected and infected animals showed significant deterioration of body and spleen parameters in the latter group. Therefore, the application of basic measurements of the American mink may be used to evaluate the health status of individuals in terms of pathogen infection. Conclusions The study shed a new light on prevalence and distribution of AMDV in the feral population of American mink in Iceland and the results might be successfully applied to develop models to infer dynamics of various pathogens, even those latently transmitted by disease-free animals.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Virtanen ◽  
Andrzej Zalewski ◽  
Marta Kołodziej-Sobocińska ◽  
Marcin Brzeziński ◽  
Teemu Smura ◽  
...  

Abstract Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), which causes Aleutian disease (AD), is widely spread both in farmed mink and wild mustelids. However, only limited data is available on the role of wild animals in AMDV transmission and spread. Our aim was to shed light on AMDV transmission among wild mustelids and estimate the effect of intense farming practices on the virus circulation by studying AMDV prevalence and genetic diversity among wild mustelids in Poland. We compared AMDV seroprevalence and proportion of PCR positive individuals in American mink, polecats, otters, stone martens, and pine martens, and used phylogenetic analysis of NS1 region to study transmission. In addition, we used metagenomic approach to sequence complete AMDV genomes from tissue samples. In eastern Poland, AMDV seroprevalence in wild mustelids varied from 22% in otters to 62% and 64% in stone martens and feral mink, respectively. All studied antibody positive mink were also PCR positive, whereas only 10, 15, and 18% of antibody positive polecats, pine martens, and stone martens, respectively, were PCR positive, suggesting lower virus persistence among these animal species as compared to feral mink. In phylogenetic analysis, most sequences from feral mink formed region-specific clusters that have most likely emerged through multiple introductions of AMDV to feral mink population over decades. However, virus spread between regions was also observed. Virus sequences derived from farmed and wild animals formed separate sub-clusters in the phylogenetic tree and no signs of recent virus transmission between farmed and wild animals was observed despite frequent inflow of farmed mink escapees to wild populations. These results provide new information about the role of different mustelid species in AMDV transmission and about virus circulation among the wild mustelids. In addition, we pinpoint gaps-of-knowledge, where more studies are needed to achieve a comprehensive picture of AMDV transmission.


2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisco Mañas ◽  
Asunción Gómez ◽  
Victoria Asensio ◽  
Santiago Palazón ◽  
Madis Podra ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 243-244
Author(s):  
Karim Karimi ◽  
A Hossain Farid ◽  
Sean Myles ◽  
Younes Miar

Abstract Aleutian disease (AD) is one of the most important health problems in the mink industry worldwide, leading to economic losses. We used a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to detect the genomic regions potentially under selection for response to Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) infection in black American mink. A total of 191 mink which were inoculated with a local strain of AMDV and survived until pelting were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing technique. The presence of viral DNA in the spleen samples were tested by polymerase chain reaction. After filtering, 47,800 SNPs at 171 individuals were used for further analyses. Signatures of selection for response to AMDV infection were detected using fixation index (FST) and nucleotide diversity (θπ) statistics measured between negative and positive groups. The overlap of top 1% SNPs obtained from both FST and θπ scores were considered as potential selection signs. This measurement identified a total of 21 candidate regions containing 11 genes which were likely subjected to selection for viral clearance. Several identified genes were those that modulate immune system (TCF4), reproductive process (CATSPERB, MAS1 and IGF2R), response to stimulus (WNT11 and MAS1), and functions of heart (TENM4 and WNT11) and liver (IGF2R). In addition, gene ontology showed that 63.6% of detected genes (seven) were involved in binding activities (GO:0005488). These genes can be used in molecular assessment of viral clearance in American mink. The results indicated that selection for viral clearance and thus AD tolerant animals can be a feasible strategy to deal with the global AMDV infection on mink farms.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Reichert ◽  
Krzysztof Kostro

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterise the genetic variability of the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) circulating among mink farmed in Poland and to compare Polish isolates with AMDV variants available in the GenBank database. For this purpose PCR amplification and analysis of the 429 bp DNA fragment of the AMDV NS1 gene from 13 randomly selected AMDV infected mink was performed. A comparison showed that all tested amplicons were closely related to the sequence of the NS1 gene of AMDV and showed high (94%-97%) homology to virus variants from American mink (Neovison vison) isolated in Canada in 2007-2008. Eleven samples showing a high percentage (95%-97%) of sequence similarity together with three similar isolates originating from Canada formed one clade (monophyletic group). Two variants showing a lower percentage (about 94%- 95%) of sequence similarity to isolates from Canada formed a separate clade. Polish viruses can be subdivided into two main groups with a putative ancestor common to both Polish and three Canadian isolates. This result confirms the literature data indicating the occurrence of American mink in Eastern Europe (including Poland) from the 1950s when the animals were imported for breeding purposes. In conclusion, we provide for the first time a report on the genetic characteristics of the AMDV variants circulating in the Polish population of farmed mink and their relationship with previously known AMDV variants isolated and described abroad.


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