Tularemia Outbreaks in Spain from 2007 to 2020 in Humans and Domestic and Wild Animals

In this study, tularemia outbreaks associated with humans and several domestic and wild animals (Iberian hares, wild rabbits, voles, mice, grey shrews, sheep, dogs, foxes, wolves, ticks, and river crayfish) are reported in Spain from 2007 to 2020. Special attention was paid to the outbreaks in humans in 2007–2009 and 2014–2015, when the most important waves occurred. Moreover, positive rates of tularemia in lagomorphs were detected in 2007–2010, followed by negative results in 2011–2013, before again returning to positive rates in 2014 and in 2017 and in 2019–2020. Lagomorphs role in spreading Francisella tularensis in the epidemiological chain could not be discarded. F. tularensis is described for the first time infecting the shrew Crocidura russula worldwide, and it is also reported for the first time infecting wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spain. Serological positives higher than 0.4% were seen for sheep only from 2007–2009 and again in 2019, while serological rates greater than 1% were revealed in dogs in 2007–2008 and in wild canids in 2016. F. tularensis were detected in ticks in 2009, 2014–2015, 2017, and 2019. Lastly, negative results were achieved for river crayfish and also in environmental water samples from 2007 to 2020.

Insularity induces changes on body and mandible morphology in a Mediterranean population of the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula (Hermann, 1780)

Island populations of terrestrial mammals often undergo extensive behavioural and morphological changes when separated from mainland populations. Within small mammals these changes have been mainly reported in rodents but were poorly assessed in soricomorphs. In this study we compared mandible morphology and body condition between mainland and island populations of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula. The results indicated that island specimens were bigger and heavier than the mainland counterpart, and they showed changes in mandible shape that were associated with higher mechanical potentials. We suggest that these changes might be the result of the interaction of two main factors taking place in the island population: ecological release (i.e. the decrease of predation and interspecific competition), and consequently the increase of intraspecific competition. While the increase in size and body condition in island shrews could be a direct result from reduced predation and interspecific competition, the changes in mandible shape and the increase of both mechanical potential and sexual dimorphism could have arisen indirectly as a response to stronger intraspecific competition.