scholarly journals Seasonality of Coxiella burnetii among Wild Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the Hyalomma lusitanicum (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Meso-Mediterranean Ecosystem

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
María Sánchez ◽  
Félix Valcárcel ◽  
Julia González ◽  
Marta G. González ◽  
Raquel Martín-Hernández ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii that have cases reported in humans and animals almost everywhere. The aim of this study was to describe the seasonality of Coxiella burnetii in the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the tick Hyalomma lusitanicum in a meso-Mediterranean ecosystem. (2) Methods: two populations of wild rabbits that differ in whether or not they share habitat with ungulates, mainly red deer (Cervus elaphus) were sampled for a year to collect ticks, blood and vaginal or anal swabs. Presence of C. burnetii DNA in swabs and the tick H. lusitanicum was determined by PCR and serum antibodies by ELISA. (3) Results: C. burnetii DNA was detected in 47.2% of 583 rabbits, in 65.5% of sera, and in more than half of the H. lusitanicum. There were small variations according to sex and age of the rabbits but significant according to the habitat (4) Conclusions: The results indicate that C. burnetii circulates freely between wild rabbits and H. lusitanicum and the sylvatic cycle in meso-Mediterranean environments relies in the presence of wild rabbits and H. lusitanicum above all if sharing habitat with red deer.

Author(s):  
Julia González ◽  
Marta G González ◽  
Félix Valcárcel ◽  
Maria Sánchez ◽  
Raquel Martín-Hernández ◽  
...  

Abstract Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii (Derrick) Philip. It is a major cause of abortion among sheep and may be responsible for reproductive losses in red deer in Spain. Airborne transmission is the most widespread; however, some studies suggested that ticks may play a role, but little is known about their actual involvement in the C. burnetii cycle. The aim of this study was to determine the role that Hyalomma lusitanicum (Koch) tick plays in the maintenance of this agent among wildlife in the meso-Mediterranean areas. We processed by PCR 53 swabs from wild rabbits, 21 liver samples from red deer, and 236 ticks collected at different stages. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected in 43.40% of wild rabbits and 38.09% of red deer, supporting the hypothesis that these animals are quite likely to serve as a reservoir in the field. We also found a high prevalence of C. burnetii in ticks (55.66%). It is worth noting that 50.45% of positive ticks were collected from negative hosts, suggesting that the pathogen probably was acquired at a previous tick stage. Our results suggest transstadial transmission, and the presence of bacterial DNA in the offspring of positive female ticks is the first evidence of the transovarial transmission of C. burnetii by H. lusitanicum. Thus, this tick species seems to play an important role as a bridge of infection in the wildlife cycle, although further studies are needed to confirm vector competence.


Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 162 (4) ◽  
pp. 1863-1873 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Slate ◽  
P M Visscher ◽  
S MacGregor ◽  
D Stevens ◽  
M L Tate ◽  
...  

Abstract Recent empirical evidence indicates that although fitness and fitness components tend to have low heritability in natural populations, they may nonetheless have relatively large components of additive genetic variance. The molecular basis of additive genetic variation has been investigated in model organisms but never in the wild. In this article we describe an attempt to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for birth weight (a trait positively associated with overall fitness) in an unmanipulated, wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Two approaches were used: interval mapping by linear regression within half-sib families and a variance components analysis of a six-generation pedigree of >350 animals. Evidence for segregating QTL was found on three linkage groups, one of which was significant at the genome-wide suggestive linkage threshold. To our knowledge this is the first time that a QTL for any trait has been mapped in a wild mammal population. It is hoped that this study will stimulate further investigations of the genetic architecture of fitness traits in the wild.


1987 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 238-243
Author(s):  
Patrick F. Houlihan

The evidence for deer (Cervidae) in ancient Egypt is reviewed briefly. The question of whether deer ever existed in the wild as an element of the Egyptian fauna, or were only known from rare exotic imports, cannot be conclusively answered yet. It is quite likely, however, based upon the records of the Egyptians themselves, that deer were native, whether naturally occurring or introduced. While the identification of the species depicted as the Persian Fallow Deer (Dama dama mesopotamica) is probably correct, the Barbary Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) remains a possibility.


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 761
Author(s):  
A. Galán-Ocaña ◽  
M. J. Ramírez-Expósito ◽  
J. M. Martínez-Martos ◽  
S. Tellado ◽  
C. Azorit

The circulating renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is well known for its systemic role in the regulation of blood pressure, renal hemodynamics and fluid homeostasis. However, in mammals several organs also contain a local RAS, including male and female reproductive tissues. In the present study we analysed serum from a free-living population of red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) to determine the activity of four RAS-regulating aminopeptidases (aminopeptidase A, aspartyl aminopeptidase, aminopeptidase N and aminopeptidase B) as part of a study of annual cycles of growth and condition. Our aim was to detect seasonal variations in the activities of these aminopeptidases and their relationship to the reproductive behaviour of both species in a Mediterranean environment. In both males and females there was a maximum peak of activity in autumn. A second peak was detected in spring for males while in females activity was also higher in summer. These changes may be related to a different endocrine status according to their seasonal cycle, the decreased photoperiod in autumn and the normal timing of the seasonal growth cycle. Thus, changes in the activity of RAS-regulating aminopeptidases could reflect the functional role of angiotensins through the annual cycle of both species, also suggesting an important role of these peptide hormones in the regulation of these biological processes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 6223-6231 ◽  
Author(s):  
David González-Barrio ◽  
Ana Luisa Velasco Ávila ◽  
Mariana Boadella ◽  
Beatriz Beltrán-Beck ◽  
José Ángel Barasona ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe control of multihost pathogens, such asCoxiella burnetii, should rely on accurate information about the roles played by the main hosts. We aimed to determine the involvement of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the ecology ofC. burnetii. We predicted that red deer populations from broad geographic areas within a European context would be exposed toC. burnetii, and therefore, we hypothesized that a series of factors would modulate the exposure of red deer toC. burnetii. To test this hypothesis, we designed a retrospective survey of 47 Iberian red deer populations from which 1,751 serum samples and 489 spleen samples were collected. Sera were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in order to estimate exposure toC. burnetii, and spleen samples were analyzed by PCR in order to estimate the prevalence of systemic infections. Thereafter, we gathered 23 variables—within environmental, host, and management factors—potentially modulating the risk of exposure of deer toC. burnetii, and we performed multivariate statistical analyses to identify the main risk factors. Twenty-three populations were seropositive (48.9%), andC. burnetiiDNA in the spleen was detected in 50% of the populations analyzed. The statistical analyses reflect the complexity ofC. burnetiiecology and suggest that although red deer may maintain the circulation ofC. burnetiiwithout third species, the most frequent scenario probably includes other wild and domestic host species. These findings, taken together with previous evidence ofC. burnetiishedding by naturally infected red deer, point at this wild ungulate as a true reservoir forC. burnetiiand an important node in the life cycle ofC. burnetii, at least in the Iberian Peninsula.


2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastiaan G. Meerburg ◽  
Chantal B. E. M. Reusken

Rodents are known to cause massive food losses, but are also implicated as reservoirs for a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens. This review discusses the contribution of rodents in the spread and transmission of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q-fever. We found that rodents have been implicated as reservoirs for Q-fever, but their role in pathogen maintenance, geographic spread and transmission still remains to be clarified. As there are indications for a role of rodents in Q-fever epidemiology, including during the 2007–10 outbreak in the Netherlands, the overall lack of knowledge on the role of rodents warrants studies into their contribution in transmission of C. burnetii from the sylvatic cycle to the domestic cycle, in within-herd transmission, in transmission to surrounding farms and in direct transmission to humans. Although the basic sylvatic and domestic cycles of C. burnetii infection can operate independently, they will overlap in many instances as many areas in the world are occupied by both domestic and wild animals. This area of Q-fever ecology is of interest and research should focus on this aspect of Q-fever epidemiology and, in particular, on the role of rodents therein. More studies are needed that elicit the exact role of rodents in epidemiology of C. burnetii to further optimise disease control.


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Miranda ◽  
Marisa Sicilia ◽  
Jordi Bartolomé ◽  
Eduarda Molina-Alcaide ◽  
Lucía Gálvez-Bravo ◽  
...  

Context Ungulates have been widely introduced in multiple ecosystems throughout the world due to their value as food and for sport hunting. The identification of foraging preferences of exotic and native ungulates living in sympatry is, therefore, becoming increasingly important in order to assess potential impacts of introduced animals on the host ecosystem. Aims To describe species-specific foraging strategies and infer resource selection overlap between native and exotic ungulates. Methods We compared the trophic ecology of three sympatric ungulate species living in a Mediterranean landscape: the native Iberian red deer Cervus elaphus hispanicus, and two exotic bovids, the European mouflon Ovis orientalis musimon and the aoudad Ammotragus lervia. We simultaneously determined herbivore diet through analyses of botanical content in faeces and assessed the nutritional content of these diets. Key results Higher selection of shrubs by deer was sustained throughout the year, while bovids showed seasonal shifts in forage selection. Both bovids displayed a selective dietary strategy directed towards a higher overall nutritional quality than that of deer. Divergent exploitation patterns between the studied cervid and bovids might be related to body mass and physiological adaptations to overcome secondary defence compounds of shrubs, and were largely affected by seasonal changes in the nutritional value of available vegetation. Ecological theory suggests that diet overlap should be greater between similar-sized species. Indeed, both exotics showed similar, sometimes overlapping, dietary patterns that could lead to potential competition in the use of resources. Native red deer preferences only showed some overlap with those of exotic mouflon under constrained summer conditions. Conclusions Dietary overlap between deer and mouflon and between aoudad and mouflon during limiting summer conditions could entail a potential competitive interaction under more even densities of the study species, since a concurrent habitat overlap between those pairs of species has previously been reported. Implications The outcomes of our study suggest the need for an integration of habitat and ungulate management. Management actions in Mediterranean rangelands should be directed towards protecting habitat conditions so that biodiversity is enhanced along with the presence of sustainable communities of large herbivores. Management directed towards ungulates should maintain moderate stocking rates and monitor and control introduced and native populations.


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