scholarly journals Exploring Vertebrate Behavior at Mesocarnivore Carcass Sites: Implications for Non-Trophic Parasite Transmission

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzálvez Moisés ◽  
Carlos Martínez-Carrasco ◽  
Moleón Marcos
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Rubbing Behavior ◽  
Trophically Transmitted Parasites

Abstract The spatiotemporal distribution of parasites in ecosystems is heterogeneous. High infection risk is often associated with aggregations of animals around attractive resources. Here, we explore the behavior of potential hosts of non-trophically transmitted parasites at mesocarnivore carcass sites. We used videos recorded by camera traps at 56 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses and 10 carcasses of other wild carnivore species in three areas of southeastern Spain. In general, scavenging species, especially wild canids, mustelids and viverrids that display rubbing behavior, were more exposed to infection risk at carnivore carcass sites than non-scavenging and domestic species. The red fox was the species that most frequently contacted carcasses and marked and rubbed carcass sites. Foxes contacted heterospecific carcasses more frequently and earlier than conspecific ones, and close contact was more frequently observed at heterospecific carcasses. Thus, foxes seemed to avoid contacting carcasses in those periods and at carcass types of maximum risk of acquiring parasites. Overall, our results suggest that infection risk at carnivore carcass sites may take place mainly for visitor-carcass contact or contact with feces and urine rather than direct contact between visitors. Moreover, contact events between scavengers and carnivore carcasses are far more frequent than consumption events, which indicates that scavenger behavior is more constrained by the risk of acquiring meat-borne parasites than non-trophically transmitted parasites. This study contributes to filling key gaps in understanding the role of carrion in the landscape of disgust, which may be especially relevant in the current global context of emerging and re-emerging pathogens.

scholarly journals Understanding potential implications for non-trophic parasite transmission based on vertebrate behavior at mesocarnivore carcass sites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moisés Gonzálvez ◽  
Carlos Martínez-Carrasco ◽  
Marcos Moleón
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Rubbing Behavior ◽  
Trophically Transmitted Parasites

AbstractHigh infection risk is often associated with aggregations of animals around attractive resources. Here, we explore the behavior of potential hosts of non-trophically transmitted parasites at mesocarnivore carcass sites. We used videos recorded by camera traps at 56 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses and 10 carcasses of other wild carnivore species in three areas of southeastern Spain. Scavenging species, especially wild canids, mustelids and viverrids, showed more frequent rubbing behavior at carcass sites than non-scavenging and domestic species, suggesting that they could be exposed to a higher potential infection risk. The red fox was the species that most frequently contacted carcasses and marked and rubbed carcass sites. Foxes contacted heterospecific carcasses more frequently and earlier than conspecific ones and, when close contact occurred, it was more likely to be observed at heterospecific carcasses. This suggests that foxes avoid contact with the type of carcass and time period that have the greatest risk as a source of parasites. Overall, non-trophic behaviors of higher infection risk were mainly associated with visitor-carcass contact and visitor contact with feces and urine, rather than direct contact between visitors. Moreover, contact events between scavengers and carnivore carcasses were far more frequent than consumption events, which suggests that scavenger behavior is more constrained by the risk of acquiring meat-borne parasites than non-trophically transmitted parasites. This study contributes to filling key gaps in understanding the role of carrion in the landscape of disgust, which may be especially relevant in the current global context of emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Red fox viromes across an urban-rural gradient

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J Campbell ◽  
Wilbur Ashley ◽  
Margarita Gil-Fernandez ◽  
Thomas M. Newsome ◽  
Francesca Di Giallonardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease

AbstractThe Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has established large populations in Australia’s urban and rural areas since its introduction following European settlement. Foxes’ cryptic and highly adaptable nature allows them to invade cities and live among humans while remaining largely unnoticed. Urban living and access to anthropogenic food resources also influences fox ecology. Urban foxes grow larger, live at higher densities and are more social than their rural counterparts. These ecological changes in urban red foxes are likely to impact the pathogens that they harbour, and foxes could pose a disease risk to humans and other species that share these urban spaces. To assess this possibility, we used a meta-transcriptomic approach to characterise the viromes of urban and rural foxes across the Greater Sydney region in Australia. Urban and rural foxes differed significantly in virome composition, with rural foxes harbouring a greater abundance of viruses compared to their urban counterparts. In contrast, urban fox viromes comprised a greater diversity of viruses compared to rural foxes. We identified nine potentially novel vertebrate-associated viruses in both urban and rural foxes, some of which are related to viruses associated with disease in domestic species and humans. These included members of the Astroviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Hepeviridae and Picornaviridae as well as rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus-2 (RHDV2). This study sheds light on the viruses carried by urban and rural foxes and emphasises the need for greater genomic surveillance of foxes and other invasive species at the human-wildlife interface.ImportanceUrbanisation of wild environments is increasing as human populations continue to expand. Remnant pockets of natural environments and other green spaces in urban landscapes provide invasive wildlife such as red foxes with refuges within urban areas, where they thrive on the food resources provisioned by humans. Close contact between humans, domestic species and foxes likely increases the risk of novel pathogen emergence. Indeed, the vast majority of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in wild animals. Here, we explored potential differences in viromes between urban fox invaders and their rural counterparts. Viromes of foxes and their ectoparasites comprise a diversity of viruses including those from the Astroviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Caliciviridae and Picornaviridae. Microbial surveillance in foxes and other urban wildlife is vital for monitoring viral emergence and for the prevention of infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Infection Spread and High-Resolution Detection of Close Contact Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Boni Su ◽  
Pak-To Chan ◽  
Te Miao ◽  
Peihua Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Orientation Angle ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Environment Design ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Infection Spread

Knowledge of human behaviors is important for improving indoor-environment design, building-energy efficiency, and productivity, and for studies of infection spread. However, such data are lacking. In this study, we designed a device for detecting and recording, second by second, the 3D indoor positioning and head and body motions of each graduate student in an office. From more than 400 person hours of data. Students spent 92.2%, 4.1%, 2.9%, and 0.8% of their time in their own office cubicles, other office cubicles, aisles, and areas near public facilities, respectively. They spent 9.7% of time in close contact, and each student averagely had 4.0 close contacts/h. Students spent long time on close contact in the office which may lead to high infection risk. The average interpersonal distance during close contact was 0.81 m. When sitting, students preferred small relative face orientation angle. Pairs of standing students preferred a face-to-face orientation during close contact which means this pattern had a lower infection risk via close contact. Probability of close contact decreased exponentially with the increasing distance between two students’ cubicles. Data on human behaviour during close contact is helpful for infection risk analysis and infection control and prevention.

scholarly journals Red fox viromes in urban and rural landscapes

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J Campbell ◽  
Wilbur Ashley ◽  
Margarita Gil-Fernandez ◽  
Thomas M Newsome ◽  
Francesca Di Giallonardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Abstract The Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has established large populations in Australia’s urban and rural areas since its introduction following European settlement. The cryptic and highly adaptable nature of foxes allows them to invade cities and live among humans whilst remaining largely unnoticed. Urban living and access to anthropogenic food resources also influence fox ecology. Urban foxes grow larger, live at higher densities, and are more social than their rural counterparts. These ecological changes in urban red foxes are likely to impact the pathogens that they harbour, and foxes could pose a disease risk to humans and other species that share these urban spaces. To investigate this possibility, we used a meta-transcriptomic approach to characterise the virome of urban and rural foxes across the Greater Sydney region in Australia. Urban and rural foxes differed significantly in virome composition, with rural foxes harbouring a greater abundance of viruses compared to their urban counterparts. We identified ten potentially novel vertebrate-associated viruses in both urban and rural foxes, some of which are related to viruses associated with disease in domestic species and humans. These included members of the Astroviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Hepeviridae, and Picornaviridae as well as rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus-2. This study sheds light on the viruses carried by urban and rural foxes and emphasises the need for greater genomic surveillance of foxes and other invasive species at the human–wildlife interface.

Camera trap evidence of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) predation attempts on adult macropods

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Meek ◽  
Jason Wishart
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
New South ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Critical Weight ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Photographic Evidence ◽  
Management Project

Camera traps provide a novel and quasicovert method of gathering information on animal behaviour that may otherwise remain undetected without sophisticated and expensive filming equipment. In a rangelands pest management project at Mt Hope in the central west of New South Wales, Australia, we recorded foxes seemingly hunting kangaroos on three occasions. While we did not record direct instances of predation, our observations provide camera trap photographic evidence suggesting that foxes will attempt to tackle mammals above the critical weight range, including large macropod species such as western grey kangaroos.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Calodium hepaticum and Cysticercus fasciolaris in Urban Rats and Their Histopathological Reaction in the Livers

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharathalingam Sinniah ◽  
Muniandy Narasiman ◽  
Saequa Habib ◽  
Ong Gaik Bei
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Liver Parenchyma ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Cysticercus Fasciolaris ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Calodium Hepaticum ◽  
Granulomatous Lesions ◽  
Almost All

Humans can get infected with several zoonotic diseases from being in close contact with rats. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence and histopathological changes caused by Calodium hepaticum and Cysticercus fasciolaris in infected livers of wild caught urban rats. Of the 98 urban rats (Rattus rattus diardii and Rattus norvegicus) autopsied, 64.3% were infected; 44.9% were infected with Caladium hepatica, 39.3% were infected with Cysticercus fasciolaris, and 20.4% were infected with both parasites. High infection rates suggest that urban rats are common reservoir for both parasites, which are potentially a threat to man. Calodium hepaticum infections were identified by the presence of ova or adults in the liver parenchyma. They appear as yellowish white nodules, measuring 1–7 mm in diameter or in streaks scattered widely over the serosal surface of the liver. Cysticercus fasciolaris infections are recognized morphologically by their shape (round or oval) and are creamy white in colour. Histological studies of Calodium hepaticum showed areas of granulomatous lesions with necrotic areas around the dead ova and adults. In almost all cases, the rats appeared robust, looked healthy, and showed no visible signs of hepatic failure despite the fact that more than 64.0% of their livers were infected by either one or both parasites.

scholarly journals Seasonal and Sexual Differences in the Microbiota of the Hoopoe Uropygial Secretion

Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Rodríguez-Ruano ◽  
Manuel Martín-Vivaldi ◽  
Juan Peralta-Sánchez ◽  
Ana García-Martín ◽  
Ángela Martínez-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Uropygial Gland ◽  
Molecular Fingerprinting ◽  
Microbial Community Dynamics ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Uropygial Secretion

The uropygial gland of hoopoe nestlings and nesting females hosts bacterial symbionts that cause changes in the characteristics of its secretion, including an increase of its antimicrobial activity. These changes occur only in nesting individuals during the breeding season, possibly associated with the high infection risk experienced during the stay in the hole-nests. However, the knowledge on hoopoes uropygial gland microbial community dynamics is quite limited and based so far on culture-dependent and molecular fingerprinting studies. In this work, we sampled wild and captive hoopoes of different sex, age, and reproductive status, and studied their microbiota using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and pyrosequencing. Surprisingly, we found a complex bacterial community in all individuals (including non-nesting ones) during the breeding season. Nevertheless, dark secretions from nesting hoopoes harbored significantly higher bacterial density than white secretions from breeding males and both sexes in winter. We hypothesize that bacterial proliferation may be host-regulated in phases of high infection risk (i.e., nesting). We also highlight the importance of specific antimicrobial-producing bacteria present only in dark secretions that may be key in this defensive symbiosis. Finally, we discuss the possible role of environmental conditions in shaping the uropygial microbiota, based on differences found between wild and captive hoopoes.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in DENV Receptors

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyu Fang ◽  
Yanhua Wu ◽  
Na Wu ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Jing An
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Dengue Shock Syndrome ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Virus Binding ◽  
Dengue Disease ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Serious Disease

Dengue is an old disease caused by the mosquito-borne dengue viruses (DENVs), which have four antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV1–4). Infection by any of them can cause dengue fever (DF) and/or a more serious disease, that is, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS). In recent decades, incidence of dengue disease has increased 30-fold, putting a third to half of the world’s population living in dengue-endemic areas at high infection risk. However, the pathogenesis of the disease is still poorly understood. The virus binding with its host cell is not only a first and critical step in their replication cycle but also a key factor for the pathogenicity. In recent years, there have been significant advances in understanding interactions of DENVs with their target cells such as dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes. Although DENVs reportedly attach to a variety of receptors on these cells, consensus DENV receptors have not been defined. In this review, we summarize receptors for DENVs on different cells identified in recent years.

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