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Naito R, Chan KMA, López de la Lama R, Zhao J. Audience segmentation approach to conservation messaging for transforming the exotic pet trade. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14267. [PMID: 38682646 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Advancing transformative change for sustainability requires population-wide behavior change. Yet, many behavioral interventions tackling environmental problems only examine average effects on the aggregate, overlooking the heterogeneous effects in a population. We developed and preregistered a novel audience segmentation approach to test the diverse impact of conservation messaging on reducing demand for exotic pets (private action - i.e., desire to own exotic pets or visit wildlife entertainment places) and fostering citizen engagement for system-wide change (civic action - e.g., signing a petition or participating in a protest against the exotic pet trade). Through an online survey with US participants (n = 2953), we identified 4 population segments (early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards), representing varying levels of commitment to wildlife conservation and then randomly assigned each segment to one of 3 messaging conditions. Messages highlighting negative consequences of the exotic pet trade and the power of collective action for system change effectively promoted private action among all segments except early adopters (ηp 2 = 0.005). Among civic actions, only the collective action message motivated early adopters and the early majority to sign petitions (φC = 0.193 and φC = 0.097, respectively). Furthermore, the 4 segments showed distinct reasoning for action and inaction on wildlife conservation, with certain relational values, such as care, serving as both motivations and barriers to action. These findings highlight the need for targeted behavioral interventions across diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumi Naito
- Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kai M A Chan
- Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rocío López de la Lama
- Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jiaying Zhao
- Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Mendoza AP, Muñoz-Maceda A, Ghersi BM, De La Puente M, Zariquiey C, Cavero N, Murillo Y, Sebastian M, Ibañez Y, Parker PG, Perez A, Uhart M, Robinson J, Olson SH, Rosenbaum MH. Diversity and prevalence of zoonotic infections at the animal-human interface of primate trafficking in Peru. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0287893. [PMID: 38324542 PMCID: PMC10849265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife trafficking creates favorable scenarios for intra- and inter-specific interactions that can lead to parasite spread and disease emergence. Among the fauna affected by this activity, primates are relevant due to their potential to acquire and share zoonoses - infections caused by parasites that can spread between humans and other animals. Though it is known that most primate parasites can affect multiple hosts and that many are zoonotic, comparative studies across different contexts for animal-human interactions are scarce. We conducted a multi-parasite screening targeting the detection of zoonotic infections in wild-caught monkeys in nine Peruvian cities across three contexts: captivity (zoos and rescue centers, n = 187); pet (households, n = 69); and trade (trafficked or recently confiscated, n = 132). We detected 32 parasite taxa including mycobacteria, simian foamyvirus, bacteria, helminths, and protozoa. Monkeys in the trade context had the highest prevalence of hemoparasites (including Plasmodium malariae/brasilianum, Trypanosoma cruzi, and microfilaria) and enteric helminths and protozoa were less common in pet monkeys. However, parasite communities showed overall low variation between the three contexts. Parasite richness (PR) was best explained by host genus and the city where the animal was sampled. Squirrel (genus Saimiri) and wooly (genus Lagothrix) monkeys had the highest PR, which was ~2.2 times the PR found in tufted capuchins (genus Sapajus) and tamarins (genus Saguinus/Leontocebus) in a multivariable model adjusted for context, sex, and age. Our findings illustrate that the threats of wildlife trafficking to One Health encompass exposure to multiple zoonotic parasites well-known to cause disease in humans, monkeys, and other species. We demonstrate these threats continue beyond the markets where wildlife is initially sold; monkeys trafficked for the pet market remain a reservoir for and contribute to the translocation of zoonotic parasites to households and other captive facilities where contact with humans is frequent. Our results have practical applications for the healthcare of rescued monkeys and call for urgent action against wildlife trafficking and ownership of monkeys as pets.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Patricia Mendoza
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru Program, Lima, Peru
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri - Saint Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation – Perú, Moyobamba, San Martín, Perú
| | - Ana Muñoz-Maceda
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno M. Ghersi
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | - Nancy Cavero
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru Program, Lima, Peru
| | - Yovana Murillo
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru Program, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Yohani Ibañez
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru Program, Lima, Peru
| | - Patricia G. Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri - Saint Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Alberto Perez
- Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcela Uhart
- One Health Institute, University of California - Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Janine Robinson
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah H. Olson
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Health Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Marieke H. Rosenbaum
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Adade E, Tawiah PO, Roos C, Chuma IS, Lubinza CC, Mfinanga SGM, Knauf S, Sylverken AA. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of oral and rectal microbiota of non-human primate species in Ghana: A threat to human health. Vet Med Sci 2023; 10:e1271. [PMID: 37733757 PMCID: PMC10804077 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The potential for the transfer of zoonotic diseases, including bacteria between human and non-human primates (NHPs), is expected to rise. It is posited that NHPs that live in close contact with humans serve as sentinels and reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. OBJECTIVES The objective was to characterize the oral and rectal bacteria in Ghanaian NHPs and profile the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria. METHODS Oral and rectal swabs were obtained from 40 immobilized wild and captive NHPs from 7 locations in Ghana. Standard bacteriological procedures were used in the isolation, preliminary identification, automated characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) of bacteria using the Vitek 2 Compact system. RESULTS Gram-negative bacteria dominated isolates from the rectal swabs (n = 76, 85.4%), whereas Gram-positive bacteria were more common in the oral swabs (n = 41, 82%). Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n = 7, 14%) was the most occurring bacterial species isolated from the oral swabs, whereas Escherichia coli (n = 32, 36%) dominated bacteria isolates from rectal swabs. Enterobacter spp. had the highest (39%) average phenotypic resistance to antimicrobials that were used for AST, whereas a trend of high resistance was recorded against norfloxacin, Ampicillin and Tetracycline in Gram-negative bacteria. Similarly, among Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. had the highest (25%) average phenotypic resistance to antimicrobials used for AST, and a trend of high resistance was recorded against penicillin G and oxacillin. CONCLUSIONS This study has established that apparently healthy NHPs that live in anthropized environments in Ghana harbour zoonotic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Adade
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical MedicineKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
| | - Patrick Ofori Tawiah
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical MedicineKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterLeibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
| | | | - Clara Clavery Lubinza
- National Institute for Medical ResearchMuhimbili Medical Research CentreDar es SalaamTanzania
| | | | - Sascha Knauf
- Institute of International Animal Health/One HealthFriedrich‐Loeffler‐InstitutFederal Institute for Animal HealthGreifswald – Insel RiemsGermany
| | - Augustina Angelina Sylverken
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical MedicineKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
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Macdonald DW. Mitigating Human Impacts on Wild Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2906. [PMID: 37760306 PMCID: PMC10525650 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern for wild animal welfare, especially in relation to conservation, is evident. While research on wild animal welfare lags behind that focused on captive animals, minimising human-induced harm to wild animals is a key principle. This study examines examples of negative anthropogenic impacts on wild animal welfare, how these may be mitigated and what further research is required, including examples from wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, and synergies that may be achieved between these. Ultimately, it is discussed how the welfare of wild animals may be balanced with other priorities to ensure that welfare is afforded due consideration in interactions between people and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Macdonald
- The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK
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Dégi J, Herman V, Radulov I, Morariu F, Florea T, Imre K. Surveys on Pet-Reptile-Associated Multi-Drug-Resistant Salmonella spp. in the Timișoara Metropolitan Region-Western Romania. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1203. [PMID: 37508299 PMCID: PMC10376298 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12071203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of reptiles owned as pets has risen worldwide. Additionally, urban expansion has resulted in more significant human encroachment and interactions with the habitats of captive reptiles. Between May and October 2022, 48 reptiles from pet shops and 69 from households were sampled in the Timișoara metropolitan area (western Romania). Three different sample types were collected from each reptile: oral cavity, skin, and cloacal swabs. Salmonella identification was based on ISO 6579-1:2017 (Annex D), a molecular testing method (invA gene target), and strains were serotyped in accordance with the Kauffman-White-Le-Minor technique; the antibiotic susceptibility was assessed according to Decision 2013/652. This study showed that 43.28% of the pet reptiles examined from households and pet shops carried Salmonella spp. All of the strains isolated presented resistance to at least one antibiotic, and 79.32% (23/29) were multi-drug-resistant strains, with the most frequently observed resistances being to gentamicin, nitrofurantion, tobramycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The findings of the study undertaken by our team reveal that reptile multi-drug-resistant Salmonella is present. Considering this aspect, the most effective way of preventing multi-drug-resistant Salmonella infections requires stringent hygiene control in reptile pet shops as well as ensuring proper animal handling once the animals leave the pet shop and are introduced into households.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Dégi
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Viorel Herman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Isidora Radulov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Florica Morariu
- Department of Animal Production Engineering, Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Recourses, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Tiana Florea
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Kálmán Imre
- Department of Animal Production and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
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Gray MJ, Carter ED, Piovia-Scott J, Cusaac JPW, Peterson AC, Whetstone RD, Hertz A, Muniz-Torres AY, Bletz MC, Woodhams DC, Romansic JM, Sutton WB, Sheley W, Pessier A, McCusker CD, Wilber MQ, Miller DL. Broad host susceptibility of North American amphibian species to Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans suggests high invasion potential and biodiversity risk. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3270. [PMID: 37277333 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38979-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is a fungal pathogen of amphibians that is emerging in Europe and could be introduced to North America through international trade or other pathways. To evaluate the risk of Bsal invasion to amphibian biodiversity, we performed dose-response experiments on 35 North American species from 10 families, including larvae from five species. We discovered that Bsal caused infection in 74% and mortality in 35% of species tested. Both salamanders and frogs became infected and developed Bsal chytridiomycosis. Based on our host susceptibility results, environmental suitability conditions for Bsal, and geographic ranges of salamanders in the United States, predicted biodiversity loss is expected to be greatest in the Appalachian Region and along the West Coast. Indices of infection and disease susceptibility suggest that North American amphibian species span a spectrum of vulnerability to Bsal chytridiomycosis and most amphibian communities will include an assemblage of resistant, carrier, and amplification species. Predicted salamander losses could exceed 80 species in the United States and 140 species in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Gray
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Edward Davis Carter
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jonah Piovia-Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - J Patrick W Cusaac
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Anna C Peterson
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ross D Whetstone
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Hertz
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Molly C Bletz
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas C Woodhams
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, Panama
| | - John M Romansic
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - William B Sutton
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Wesley Sheley
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Allan Pessier
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Mark Q Wilber
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Debra L Miller
- Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Schilliger L, Paillusseau C, François C, Bonwitt J. Major Emerging Fungal Diseases of Reptiles and Amphibians. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030429. [PMID: 36986351 PMCID: PMC10053826 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are caused by pathogens that have undergone recent changes in terms of geographic spread, increasing incidence, or expanding host range. In this narrative review, we describe three important fungal EIDs with keratin trophism that are relevant to reptile and amphibian conservation and veterinary practice. Nannizziopsis spp. have been mainly described in saurians; infection results in thickened, discolored skin crusting, with eventual progression to deep tissues. Previously only reported in captive populations, it was first described in wild animals in Australia in 2020. Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (formely O. ophiodiicola) is only known to infect snakes; clinical signs include ulcerating lesions in the cranial, ventral, and pericloacal regions. It has been associated with mortality events in wild populations in North America. Batrachochytrium spp. cause ulceration, hyperkeratosis, and erythema in amphibians. They are a major cause of catastrophic amphibian declines worldwide. In general, infection and clinical course are determined by host-related characteristics (e.g., nutritional, metabolic, and immune status), pathogens (e.g., virulence and environmental survival), and environment (e.g., temperature, hygrometry, and water quality). The animal trade is thought to be an important cause of worldwide spread, with global modifications in temperature, hygrometry, and water quality further affecting fungal pathogenicity and host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Schilliger
- Argos Veterinary Clinic of Paris Auteuil, 35 Rue Leconte de Lisle, 75016 Paris, France
- SpéNac Referral Center, 100 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg, 75007 Paris, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-188-616-831
| | - Clément Paillusseau
- Argos Veterinary Clinic of Paris Auteuil, 35 Rue Leconte de Lisle, 75016 Paris, France
- SpéNac Referral Center, 100 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Camille François
- Argos Veterinary Clinic of Paris Auteuil, 35 Rue Leconte de Lisle, 75016 Paris, France
- SpéNac Referral Center, 100 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Jesse Bonwitt
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Rd., Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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Mubareka S, Amuasi J, Banerjee A, Carabin H, Copper Jack J, Jardine C, Jaroszewicz B, Keefe G, Kotwa J, Kutz S, McGregor D, Mease A, Nicholson L, Nowak K, Pickering B, Reed MG, Saint-Charles J, Simonienko K, Smith T, Scott Weese J, Jane Parmley E. Strengthening a One Health approach to emerging zoonoses. Facets (Ott) 2023. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the enormous global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada, and manifold other zoonotic pathogen activity, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the human-animal-environment interface and the intersecting biological, ecological, and societal factors contributing to the emergence, spread, and impact of zoonotic diseases. We aim to apply a One Health approach to pressing issues related to emerging zoonoses, and propose a functional framework of interconnected but distinct groups of recommendations around strategy and governance, technical leadership (operations), equity, education and research for a One Health approach and Action Plan for Canada. Change is desperately needed, beginning by reorienting our approach to health and recalibrating our perspectives to restore balance with the natural world in a rapid and sustainable fashion. In Canada, a major paradigm shift in how we think about health is required. All of society must recognize the intrinsic value of all living species and the importance of the health of humans, other animals, and ecosystems to health for all.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Amuasi
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana
| | | | | | - Joe Copper Jack
- Indigenous Knowledge Holder, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
| | | | | | - Greg Keefe
- University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| | | | - Susan Kutz
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Anne Mease
- Selkirk First Nation Citizen, Selkirk First Nation, Yukon Territory, Canada
| | | | | | - Brad Pickering
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Risk of Viral Infectious Diseases from Live Bats, Primates, Rodents and Carnivores for Sale in Indonesian Wildlife Markets. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122756. [PMID: 36560762 PMCID: PMC9786693 DOI: 10.3390/v14122756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Southeast Asia is considered a global hotspot of emerging zoonotic diseases. There, wildlife is commonly traded under poor sanitary conditions in open markets; these markets have been considered 'the perfect storm' for zoonotic disease transmission. We assessed the potential of wildlife trade in spreading viral diseases by quantifying the number of wild animals of four mammalian orders (Rodentia, Chiroptera, Carnivora and Primates) on sale in 14 Indonesian wildlife markets and identifying zoonotic viruses potentially hosted by these animals. We constructed a network analysis to visualize the animals that are traded alongside each other that may carry similar viruses. We recorded 6725 wild animals of at least 15 species on sale. Cities and markets with larger human population and number of stalls, respectively, offered more individuals for sale. Eight out of 15 animal taxa recorded are hosts of 17 zoonotic virus species, nine of which can infect more than one species as a host. The network analysis showed that long-tailed macaque has the greatest potential for spreading viral diseases, since it is simultaneously the most traded species, sold in 13/14 markets, and a potential host for nine viruses. It is traded alongside pig-tailed macaques in three markets, with which it shares six viruses in common (Cowpox, Dengue, Hepatitis E, Herpes B, Simian foamy, and Simian retrovirus type D). Short-nosed fruit bats and large flying foxes are potential hosts of Nipah virus and are also sold in large quantities in 10/14 markets. This study highlights the need for better surveillance and sanitary conditions to avoid the negative health impacts of unregulated wildlife markets.
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Watters F, Stringham O, Shepherd CR, Cassey P. The U.S. market for imported wildlife not listed in the CITES multilateral treaty. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13978. [PMID: 35924462 PMCID: PMC10092231 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The international wildlife trade presents severe conservation and environmental security risks, yet no international regulatory framework exists to monitor the trade of species not listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We explored the composition and dynamics of internationally regulated versus nonregulated trade, with a focus on importations of wild-caught terrestrial vertebrates entering the United States from 2009 to 2018. We used 10 years of species-level trade records of the numbers of live, wild-caught animals imported to the United States and data on International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates of extinction risk to determine whether there were differences in the diversity, abundance, and risk to extinction among imports of CITES-listed versus unlisted species. We found 3.6 times the number of unlisted species in U.S. imports compared with CITES-listed species (1366 vs. 378 species). The CITES-listed species were more likely to face reported conservation threats relative to unlisted species (71.7% vs. 27.5%). However, 376 unlisted species faced conversation threats, 297 species had unknown population trends, and 139 species were without an evaluation by the IUCN. Unlisted species appearing for the first time in records were imported 5.5 times more often relative to CITES-listed species. Unlisted reptiles had the largest rate of entry, averaging 53 unique species appearing in imports for the first time per year. Overall trade quantities were approximately 11 times larger for imports of unlisted species relative to imports of CITES-listed species. Countries that were top exporters of CITES-listed species were mostly different from exporters of unlisted species. Because of the vulnerabilities of unlisted, traded species entering the United States and increasing global demand, we strongly recommend governments adapt their policies to monitor and report on the trade of all wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freyja Watters
- Invasion Science & Wildlife Ecology LabUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Oliver Stringham
- Invasion Science & Wildlife Ecology LabUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Chris R. Shepherd
- Monitor Conservation Research SocietyBig Lake RanchBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Phillip Cassey
- Invasion Science & Wildlife Ecology LabUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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Naimi B, Capinha C, Ribeiro J, Rahbek C, Strubbe D, Reino L, Araújo MB. Potential for invasion of traded birds under climate and land-cover change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5654-5666. [PMID: 35849042 PMCID: PMC9539888 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Humans have moved species away from their native ranges since the Neolithic, but globalization accelerated the rate at which species are being moved. We fitted more than half million distribution models for 610 traded bird species on the CITES list to examine the separate and joint effects of global climate and land-cover change on their potential end-of-century distributions. We found that climate-induced suitability for modelled invasive species increases with latitude, because traded birds are mainly of tropical origin and much of the temperate region is 'tropicalizing.' Conversely, the tropics are becoming more arid, thus limiting the potential from cross-continental invasion by tropical species. This trend is compounded by forest loss around the tropics since most traded birds are forest dwellers. In contrast, net gains in forest area across the temperate region could compound climate change effects and increase the potential for colonization of low-latitude birds. Climate change has always led to regional redistributions of species, but the combination of human transportation, climate, and land-cover changes will likely accelerate the redistribution of species globally, increasing chances of alien species successfully invading non-native lands. Such process of biodiversity homogenization can lead to emergence of non-analogue communities with unknown environmental and socioeconomic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Naimi
- ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair, CHANGE‐MED InstituteUniversity of ÉvoraÉvoraPortugal
| | - César Capinha
- Centro de Estudos Geográficos e Laboratório Associado TERRAInstituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território – IGOT, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Branca Edmée MarquesLisbonPortugal
| | - Joana Ribeiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de VairãoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoInstituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairãoPortugal
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, GLOBE InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Institute of Ecology, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Danish Institute for Advanced StudyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Diederik Strubbe
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC)Ghent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Luís Reino
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de VairãoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoInstituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairãoPortugal
| | - Miguel B. Araújo
- ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair, CHANGE‐MED InstituteUniversity of ÉvoraÉvoraPortugal
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural SciencesCSICMadridSpain
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12
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Tompros A, Wilber MQ, Fenton A, Carter ED, Gray MJ. Efficacy of Plant-Derived Fungicides at Inhibiting Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Growth. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:1025. [PMID: 36294589 PMCID: PMC9605044 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging fungal amphibian pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), is currently spreading across Europe and given its estimated invasion potential, has the capacity to decimate salamander populations worldwide. Fungicides are a promising in situ management strategy for Bsal due to their ability to treat the environment and infected individuals. However, antifungal drugs or pesticides could adversely affect the environment and non-target hosts, thus identifying safe, effective candidate fungicides for in situ treatment is needed. Here, we estimated the inhibitory fungicidal efficacy of five plant-derived fungicides (thymol, curcumin, allicin, 6-gingerol, and Pond Pimafix®) and one chemical fungicide (Virkon® Aquatic) against Bsal zoospores in vitro. We used a broth microdilution method in 48-well plates to test the efficacy of six concentrations per fungicide on Bsal zoospore viability. Following plate incubation, we performed cell viability assays and agar plate growth trials to estimate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of each fungicide. All six fungicides exhibited inhibitory and fungicidal effects against Bsal growth, with estimated MIC concentrations ranging from 60 to 0.156 μg/mL for the different compounds. Allicin showed the greatest efficacy (i.e., lowest MIC and MFC) against Bsal zoospores followed by curcumin, Pond Pimafix®, thymol, 6-gingerol, and Virkon® Aquatic, respectively. Our results provide evidence that plant-derived fungicides are effective at inhibiting and killing Bsal zoospores in vitro and may be useful for in situ treatment. Additional studies are needed to estimate the efficacy of these fungicides at inactivating Bsal in the environment and treating Bsal-infected amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Tompros
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Mark Q. Wilber
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Edward Davis Carter
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Matthew J. Gray
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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13
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Ribeiro J, Bingre P, Strubbe D, Santana J, Capinha C, Araújo MB, Reino L. Exploring the Effects of Geopolitical Shifts on Global Wildlife Trade. Bioscience 2022; 72:560-572. [PMID: 35692962 PMCID: PMC9180917 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
International wildlife trade is a major driver of species extinction and biological invasions. Anticipating environmental risks requires inferences about trade patterns, which are shaped by geopolitics. Although the future cannot be predicted, scenarios can help deal with the uncertainty of future geopolitical dynamics. We propose a framework for generating and analyzing scenarios based on four geopolitical storylines, distinguished by combinations of international trade barrier strength and domestic law enforcement degree across countries supplying and demanding wildlife. We then use historical data on bird trade to classify countries into geopolitical profiles and confirm that trade barriers and law enforcement allow predicting bird trade patterns, supporting our scenarios' plausibility and enabling projections for future global bird trade. Our framework can be used to examine the consequences of geopolitical changes for wildlife trade and to advise policy and legislation. Reducing demand for wildlife and ameliorating global inequality are key for curbing trade related risks.
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14
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Bernstein AS, Ando AW, Loch-Temzelides T, Vale MM, Li BV, Li H, Busch J, Chapman CA, Kinnaird M, Nowak K, Castro MC, Zambrana-Torrelio C, Ahumada JA, Xiao L, Roehrdanz P, Kaufman L, Hannah L, Daszak P, Pimm SL, Dobson AP. The costs and benefits of primary prevention of zoonotic pandemics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl4183. [PMID: 35119921 PMCID: PMC8816336 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl4183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The lives lost and economic costs of viral zoonotic pandemics have steadily increased over the past century. Prominent policymakers have promoted plans that argue the best ways to address future pandemic catastrophes should entail, "detecting and containing emerging zoonotic threats." In other words, we should take actions only after humans get sick. We sharply disagree. Humans have extensive contact with wildlife known to harbor vast numbers of viruses, many of which have not yet spilled into humans. We compute the annualized damages from emerging viral zoonoses. We explore three practical actions to minimize the impact of future pandemics: better surveillance of pathogen spillover and development of global databases of virus genomics and serology, better management of wildlife trade, and substantial reduction of deforestation. We find that these primary pandemic prevention actions cost less than 1/20th the value of lives lost each year to emerging viral zoonoses and have substantial cobenefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron S. Bernstein
- Boston Children’s Hospital and the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amy W. Ando
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Resources for the Future, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Ted Loch-Temzelides
- Department of Economics and Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Mariana M. Vale
- Ecology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Goiania, Brazil
| | - Binbin V. Li
- Environment Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province 215317, China
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Hongying Li
- EcoHealth Alliance, 520 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018, USA
| | - Jonah Busch
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20004, USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Margaret Kinnaird
- Practice Leader, Wildlife, WWF International, The Mvuli, Mvuli Road, Westlands, Kenya
| | - Katarzyna Nowak
- The Safina Center, 80 North Country Road, Setauket, NY 11733, USA
| | - Marcia C. Castro
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Jorge A. Ahumada
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Lingyun Xiao
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province 215123, China
| | - Patrick Roehrdanz
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Les Kaufman
- Department of Biology and Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Lee Hannah
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Peter Daszak
- EcoHealth Alliance, 520 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018, USA
| | - Stuart L. Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Andrew P. Dobson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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15
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Fang G, Liu H, Wu K, Wei T, Wang Q. Changing legislative thinking in China to better protect wild animals and human health. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13837. [PMID: 34585442 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of China's legal protection of wildlife. Long-standing illegal wildlife trade in China and worldwide increases the risk of zoonotic infectious diseases. We sought to improve the understanding of China' legal system for the protection of wildlife, which has at its core the wildlife protection law, by systematically evaluating the laws and regulations of China's Wildlife Protection Framework. We examined how existing legal documents (e.g., the Wildlife Protection Law 2018) are directly or indirectly related to wildlife conservation. The inherent defects of wildlife protection legislation include a narrow scope of protection, insufficient public participation, and inconsistent enforcement among responsible agencies. Solutions to improve China's Wildlife Protection Law include expanding the legal protection of wildlife, and improving monitoring of wildlife protection. Strengthening legislation will be the basis for effective regulation of the use of wild animals. We advocate the establishment of a sound wildlife protection legal system for resolving conflicts between humans and wild animals and preventing zoonotic disease, such a system will have a profound impact on the sustainable development of China's wildlife resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guirong Fang
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Hong Liu
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Ka Wu
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Tongqing Wei
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qing Wang
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
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16
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Cronin KA, Leahy M, Ross SR, Wilder Schook M, Ferrie GM, Alba AC. Younger generations are more interested than older generations in having non-domesticated animals as pets. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262208. [PMID: 35081132 PMCID: PMC8791465 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade and private ownership of non-domesticated animals has detrimental effects on individual animals and their wild populations. Therefore, there is a need to understand the conditions that motivate and dissuade interest in non-domesticated pet ownership. Past research has demonstrated that the way in which non-domesticated animals are portrayed in images influences the public’s perception that they are suitable as pets. We conducted an online survey of people residing in the United States to investigate how viewing images that could be realistically captured in the zoo and broader tourism industries impact the degree to which people report interest in having that animal as a pet. We focused on two species, reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus) and two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), and presented each species in six different visual contexts. After viewing an image, respondents reported interest in pet ownership on a four-point Likert scale. Each species was studied separately in a between-subjects design and results were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression models. Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported interest in sloth pet ownership, and 21% reported interest in python pet ownership. However, contrary to our hypotheses, we found that viewing these species in different visual contexts did not significantly affect survey respondents’ reported interest in having either species as a pet. Generation was a significant predictor of interest in both sloth and python pet ownership, with younger generations reporting more interest in having these species as pets. Male respondents reported more interest in python pet ownership, whereas there were no significant differences between genders regarding interest in sloth ownership. We consider how modern media exposure to animals in unnatural contexts may relate to the generational effect and discuss priorities for future research to better understand the development of individual interests in non-domesticated pet ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Cronin
- Animal Welfare Science Program, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Maureen Leahy
- Animal Welfare Science Program, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Stephen R. Ross
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Mandi Wilder Schook
- Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
| | - Gina M. Ferrie
- Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Alba
- Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
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17
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Pienaar EF, Episcopio-Sturgeon DJ, Steele ZT. Investigating public support for biosecurity measures to mitigate pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262719. [PMID: 35061831 PMCID: PMC8782347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The expanding global trade in herpetofauna has contributed to new infectious disease dynamics and pathways that allow for the rapid spread of pathogens geographically. Improved biosecurity is needed to mitigate adverse biodiversity, economic and human health impacts associated with pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade. However, general lack of knowledge of the pathogen transmission risks associated with the global trade in herpetofauna and public opposition to biosecurity measures are critical obstacles to successfully preventing pathogen transmission. In 2019 we administered a survey to 2,007 members of the public in the United States of America to ascertain their support for interventions to prevent the spread of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), ranaviruses, and Salmonella through the herpetological trade. We presented survey respondents with different potential hazards associated with pathogen transmission through this trade, namely ecological, economic, and human health impacts. We used structural equation models to determine how these different hazards and respondents’ characteristics influenced respondents’ support for quarantine and veterinary observation of herpetofauna imported into the United States, mandatory tests for diseases of concern, and best practices to reduce stress and improve the care of live herpetofauna during transport to the United States. Respondents’ values and their perceived susceptibility and sensitivity to different hazards associated with pathogen transmission were key determinants of their support for biosecurity. Respondents with strong biospheric and altruistic values demonstrated sensitivity to ecological and human health impacts associated with pathogen transmission, whereas respondents with strong egoistic values demonstrated sensitivity to economic impacts. Respondents had limited knowledge of Bd, Bsal or ranaviruses, the size of the herpetological trade, or how this trade may contribute to pathogen transmission. Improved outreach and education on pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade is required, but it is important that messages are tailored to people with different values to elicit their support for biosecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth F. Pienaar
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Diane J. Episcopio-Sturgeon
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Zachary T. Steele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
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18
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Challender DW, Brockington D, Hinsley A, Hoffmann M, Kolby JE, Massé F, Natusch DJD, Oldfield TEE, ’t Sas‐Rolfes M, Milner‐Gulland EJ. Accurate characterization of wildlife trade and policy instruments: Reply to D'Cruze et al. (2022) and Frank and Wilcove (2022). Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan Brockington
- Sheffield Institute for International Development University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Amy Hinsley
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Jonathan E. Kolby
- IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group Toronto Canada
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences James Cook University Townsville Australia
| | - Francis Massé
- Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Daniel J. D. Natusch
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
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19
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D'Cruze N, Emre Can Ö, Harrington LA. Mischaracterizing wildlife trade and its impacts may mislead policy processes: Response to Challender et al. (2021). Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Neil D'Cruze
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Tubney Oxfordshire
| | - Özgün Emre Can
- Faculty of Science Department of Biology, Ankara University Ankara Turkey
| | - Lauren A. Harrington
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Tubney Oxfordshire
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20
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21
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Macdonald DW, Harrington LA, Moorhouse TP, D'Cruze N. Trading Animal Lives: Ten Tricky Issues on the Road to Protecting Commodified Wild Animals. Bioscience 2021; 71:846-860. [PMID: 34876885 PMCID: PMC8643462 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife commodification can generate benefits for biodiversity conservation, but it also has negative impacts; overexploitation of wildlife is currently one of the biggest drivers of vertebrate extinction risk. In the present article, we highlight 10 issues that in our experience impede sustainable and humane wildlife trade. Given humanity's increasing demands on the natural world we question whether many aspects of wildlife trade can be compatible with appropriate standards for biodiversity conservation and animal welfare, and suggest that too many elements of wildlife trade as it currently stands are not sustainable for wildlife or for the livelihoods that it supports. We suggest that the onus should be on traders to demonstrate that wildlife use is sustainable, humane, and safe (with respect to disease and invasion risk), rather than on conservationists to demonstrate it is not, that there is a need for a broad acceptance of responsibility and, ultimately, widespread behavior change. We urge conservationists, practitioners, and others to take bold, progressive steps to reach consensus and action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Neil D'Cruze
- Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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22
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Petrovan SO, Aldridge DC, Bartlett H, Bladon AJ, Booth H, Broad S, Broom DM, Burgess ND, Cleaveland S, Cunningham AA, Ferri M, Hinsley A, Hua F, Hughes AC, Jones K, Kelly M, Mayes G, Radakovic M, Ugwu CA, Uddin N, Veríssimo D, Walzer C, White TB, Wood JL, Sutherland WJ. Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021. [PMID: 34231315 DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/5jx3g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale. There is thus a need for a more complex package of policy and practical responses. We undertook a solution scan to identify and collate 161 possible options for reducing the risks of further epidemic disease transmission from animals to humans, including potential further SARS-CoV-2 transmission (original or variants). We include all categories of animals in our responses (i.e. wildlife, captive, unmanaged/feral and domestic livestock and pets) and focus on pathogens (especially viruses) that, once transmitted from animals to humans, could acquire epidemic potential through high rates of human-to-human transmission. This excludes measures to prevent well-known zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, that cannot readily transmit between humans. We focused solutions on societal measures, excluding the development of vaccines and other preventive therapeutic medicine and veterinary medicine options that are discussed elsewhere. We derived our solutions through reading the scientific literature, NGO position papers, and industry guidelines, collating our own experiences, and consulting experts in different fields. Herein, we review the major zoonotic transmission pathways and present an extensive list of options. The potential solutions are organised according to the key stages of the trade chain and encompass solutions that can be applied at the local, regional and international scales. This is a set of options targeted at practitioners and policy makers to encourage careful examination of possible courses of action, validating their impact and documenting outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silviu O Petrovan
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - David C Aldridge
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Harriet Bartlett
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Andrew J Bladon
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Hollie Booth
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Steven Broad
- TRAFFIC, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Donald M Broom
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Neil D Burgess
- UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntington Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, U.K
- GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark
| | - Sarah Cleaveland
- Institute of Biodiversity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, U.K
| | | | - Maurizio Ferri
- Italian Society of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (Simevep), Via Nizza 11, Rome, 00198, Italy
| | - Amy Hinsley
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Alice C Hughes
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, 666303, P.R. China
| | - Kate Jones
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Moira Kelly
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium
| | - George Mayes
- MacArthur Barstow & Gibbs Veterinary Surgeons, 36 Hanbury Road, Droitwich, WR9 8PW, U.K
| | - Milorad Radakovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Chinedu A Ugwu
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Disease, Redeemers' University Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Nasir Uddin
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, 666303, P.R. China
| | - Diogo Veríssimo
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA, 92027, U.S.A
| | - Christian Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna, A-1160, Austria
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, U.S.A
| | - Thomas B White
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - James L Wood
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - William J Sutherland
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
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23
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Lawler OK, Allan HL, Baxter PWJ, Castagnino R, Tor MC, Dann LE, Hungerford J, Karmacharya D, Lloyd TJ, López-Jara MJ, Massie GN, Novera J, Rogers AM, Kark S. The COVID-19 pandemic is intricately linked to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e840-e850. [PMID: 34774124 PMCID: PMC8580505 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00258-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by zoonotic SARS-CoV-2, has important links to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. These links range from anthropogenic activities driving zoonotic disease emergence and extend to the pandemic affecting biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, ecosystem services, and multiple conservation facets. Crucially, such effects can exacerbate the initial drivers, resulting in feedback loops that are likely to promote future zoonotic disease outbreaks. We explore these feedback loops and relationships, highlighting known and potential zoonotic disease emergence drivers (eg, land-use change, intensive livestock production, wildlife trade, and climate change), and discuss direct and indirect effects of the ongoing pandemic on biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. We stress that responses to COVID-19 must include actions aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems, in order to avoid future emergence of zoonoses and prevent their wide-ranging effects on human health, economies, and society. Such responses would benefit from adopting a One Health approach, enhancing cross-sector, transboundary communication, as well as from collaboration among multiple actors, promoting planetary and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odette K Lawler
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hannah L Allan
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter W J Baxter
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Romi Castagnino
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marina Corella Tor
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Leah E Dann
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Joshua Hungerford
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dibesh Karmacharya
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Thomas J Lloyd
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - María José López-Jara
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gloeta N Massie
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Junior Novera
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew M Rogers
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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24
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Molecular detection of zoonotic blood pathogens in ticks from illegally imported turtles in Italy. Acta Trop 2021; 222:106038. [PMID: 34224721 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
International trade of animals may represent a gateway for the spreading of zoonotic pathogens and their vectors. Amongst animals, reptiles are commonly illegally imported worldwide, being Italy in the fifth position of importation of these animals. Thus, the current study analysed the pathogens associated with Hyalomma aegyptium ticks, which were collected from illegally imported tortoises from North Africa to Italy. All tick DNA samples were tested by conventional PCR for the presence of Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetti, Ehrlichia spp., Hepatozoon spp., Rickettsia spp. and microfilariae of filarioids. Out of 22% (n=161) of ticks screened, 78.9% (n=127) were males and 21.1% (n=34) females. Among them, three male specimens collected from two different turtles (1.9%; 95% CI; 0.5-5.5) scored positive for Anaplasma spp./Ehrlichia spp., whereas all females were negative. BLAST analysis of the sequences obtained from positive samples revealed 99-99.3% nucleotide identity with the sequence of Ehrlichia ewingii available in GenBank. The finding of E. ewingii in ticks from imported reptiles warrants the need for imposing strict rules in the international trade of reptiles to effectively reduce the introduction of exotic pathogens and their vectors in new geographic areas.
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25
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Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Can Devour More than Salamanders. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:942-948. [PMID: 34516643 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans is an emerging fungus that is causing salamander declines in Europe. We evaluated whether an invasive frog species (Cuban treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis) that is found in international trade could be an asymptomatic carrier when exposed to zoospore doses known to infect salamanders. We discovered that Cuban treefrogs could be infected with B. salamandrivorans and, surprisingly, that chytridiomycosis developed in animals at the two highest zoospore doses. To fulfill Koch's postulates, we isolated B. salamandrivorans from infected frogs, exposed eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) to the isolate, and verified infection and disease by histopathology. This experiment represents the first documentation of B. salamandrivorans chytridiomycosis in a frog species and substantially expands the conservation threat and possible mobilization of this pathogen in trade.
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26
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Saidenberg ABS, Stegger M, Semmler T, Rocha VGP, Cunha MPV, Souza VAF, Cristina Menão M, Milanelo L, Petri BSS, Knöbl T. Salmonella Newport outbreak in Brazilian parrots: confiscated birds from the illegal pet trade as possible zoonotic sources. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:702-707. [PMID: 34169662 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella has long been linked to zoonotic risks, including exotic pets. Parrots are popular pets, and we here describe a salmonellosis outbreak involving Blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) confiscated from the illegal pet trade in Brazil. High mortality was observed during the rehabilitation for which the causative agent was identified by cultures, and VITEK®2 GN identification card as Salmonella enterica. Genome sequencing of two isolates revealed serovar Newport ST45. The isolates were resistant to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones, and genomic analyses detected characteristic Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPIs) and virulence factors. A phylogenetic analysis with other 275 S. Newport ST45 from different international sources showed clustering with poultry and vegetables isolates and closely related clades of intermingled animal, human, food/environmental isolates from different countries (Tables S1 and S2). The virulent profiles and phylogenetic connection to multiple sources bring the attention to the non-host specificity of these strains highlighting the zoonotic potential in the illegal wildlife trade for companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- André B S Saidenberg
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Health, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Bacteria, Parasite and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marc Stegger
- Department of Bacteria, Parasite and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Victória G P Rocha
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Health, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos P V Cunha
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Health, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa A F Souza
- Centro Universitário das Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas, R. Ministro Nelson Hungria, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Márcia Cristina Menão
- Centro Universitário das Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas, R. Ministro Nelson Hungria, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Liliane Milanelo
- Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens do Parque Ecológico do Tietê, R. Guira Acangatara 70, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno S S Petri
- Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens do Parque Ecológico do Tietê, R. Guira Acangatara 70, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Terezinha Knöbl
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Health, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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27
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Sandifer PA, Singer BH, Colwell RR. The U.S. Needs a National Human Health Observing System. Front Public Health 2021; 9:705597. [PMID: 34552907 PMCID: PMC8450336 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.705597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and increasing frequency and severity of environmental disasters reveal an urgent need for a robust health observing/surveillance system. With the possible exception of Brazil, we know of no such comprehensive health observing capacity. The US should create a national system of linked regionally-based health monitoring systems similar to those for weather, ocean conditions, and climate. Like those for weather, the health observing system should operate continuously, collecting mental, physical, and community health data before, during, and after events. The system should include existing cross-sectional health data surveys, along with significant new investment in regional longitudinal cohort studies. The recently described framework for a Gulf of Mexico Community Health Observing System is suggested as a potential model for development of a nation-wide system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Sandifer
- Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health, School of Sciences and Mathematics, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Burton H Singer
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Rita R Colwell
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland College Park, Baltimore, MD, United States
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28
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Huang XQ, Newman C, Buesching CD, Shao ML, Ye YC, Liu S, Macdonald DW, Zhou ZM. Prosecution records reveal pangolin trading networks in China, 2014-2019. Zool Res 2021; 42:666-670. [PMID: 34490759 PMCID: PMC8455467 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In a precautionary response to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, China's Ministries permanently banned eating and trading in terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals on 24 February 2020, and extensively updated the list of Fauna under Special State Protection (LFSSP) in 2020 and 2021, in which pangolins (Manidae spp.) were upgraded to the highest protection level. Examining 509 pangolin prosecution records from China Judgements online prior to these changes (01/01/14-31/12/19), we identified that Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces were hotspots for trade in whole pangolins and their scales. Interrupting trade in these three principal southern provinces would substantially fragment the pangolin trade network and reduce supply of imports from other south-east Asian countries. In the context of the revised legislation and strategies intended to prevent wildlife trade, we conclude that targeting interventions at key trade nodes could significantly reduce illegal trade in pangolins, and that this approach could also be effective with other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Qin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK
- Cook's Lake Farming, Forestry and Wildlife Inc. (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia B0J 2H0, Canada
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Cook's Lake Farming, Forestry and Wildlife Inc. (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia B0J 2H0, Canada
- Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia/Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mei-Ling Shao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China
| | - Yun-Chun Ye
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Zhao-Min Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Biodiversity Conservation (Sichuan Province), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, China. E-mail:
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29
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Chan OSK, Bradley KCF, Grioni A, Lau SKP, Li WT, Magouras I, Naing T, Padula A, To EMW, Tun HM, Tutt C, Woo PCY, Bloch R, Mauroo NF. Veterinary Experiences can Inform One Health Strategies for Animal Coronaviruses. ECOHEALTH 2021; 18:301-314. [PMID: 34542794 PMCID: PMC8450722 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-021-01545-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia S K Chan
- LKS Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Patrick Manson Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| | - Katriona C F Bradley
- Tai Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital, G/F, Lap Wo Building, 69-75 Chik Shun St, Tai Wai, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Alessandro Grioni
- Fauna Conservation Department, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Susanna K P Lau
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Room 26, 19/F, Block T, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wen-Ta Li
- Department of Pathology, Pangolin International Biomedical Consultant Ltd., Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Ioannis Magouras
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Tint Naing
- Soares Avenue Paws and Claws Clinic, G/F No 29 - 33 Soares Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Andrew Padula
- Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Esther M W To
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Room 509, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Hein Min Tun
- LKS Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Patrick Manson Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Cedric Tutt
- Cape Animal Dentistry Service, 78 Rosmead Avenue, Kenilworth, Cape Town, 7708, South Africa
| | - Patrick C Y Woo
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Room 26, 19/F, Block T, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rebecca Bloch
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nathalie F Mauroo
- Hong Kong Wildlife Health Foundation, GPO Box 12585, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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30
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Challender DW, Brockington D, Hinsley A, Hoffmann M, Kolby JE, Massé F, Natusch DJ, Oldfield TE, Outhwaite W, ’t Sas‐Rolfes M, Milner‐Gulland E. Mischaracterizing wildlife trade and its impacts may mislead policy processes. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan Brockington
- Sheffield Institute for International Development University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Amy Hinsley
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Jonathan E. Kolby
- IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group Toronto Canada
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences James Cook University Townsville Australia
| | - Francis Massé
- Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences Northumbria University UK
| | - Daniel J.D. Natusch
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
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31
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Lacher TE, Kennerley R, Long B, McCay S, Roach NS, Turvey ST, Young RP. Support for rodent ecology and conservation to advance zoonotic disease research. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1061-1062. [PMID: 34085734 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Lacher
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Re: Wild, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Shelby McCay
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Nicolette S Roach
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Re: Wild, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Samuel T Turvey
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, UK
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32
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Petrovan SO, Aldridge DC, Bartlett H, Bladon AJ, Booth H, Broad S, Broom DM, Burgess ND, Cleaveland S, Cunningham AA, Ferri M, Hinsley A, Hua F, Hughes AC, Jones K, Kelly M, Mayes G, Radakovic M, Ugwu CA, Uddin N, Veríssimo D, Walzer C, White TB, Wood JL, Sutherland WJ. Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2694-2715. [PMID: 34231315 PMCID: PMC8444924 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale. There is thus a need for a more complex package of policy and practical responses. We undertook a solution scan to identify and collate 161 possible options for reducing the risks of further epidemic disease transmission from animals to humans, including potential further SARS-CoV-2 transmission (original or variants). We include all categories of animals in our responses (i.e. wildlife, captive, unmanaged/feral and domestic livestock and pets) and focus on pathogens (especially viruses) that, once transmitted from animals to humans, could acquire epidemic potential through high rates of human-to-human transmission. This excludes measures to prevent well-known zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, that cannot readily transmit between humans. We focused solutions on societal measures, excluding the development of vaccines and other preventive therapeutic medicine and veterinary medicine options that are discussed elsewhere. We derived our solutions through reading the scientific literature, NGO position papers, and industry guidelines, collating our own experiences, and consulting experts in different fields. Herein, we review the major zoonotic transmission pathways and present an extensive list of options. The potential solutions are organised according to the key stages of the trade chain and encompass solutions that can be applied at the local, regional and international scales. This is a set of options targeted at practitioners and policy makers to encourage careful examination of possible courses of action, validating their impact and documenting outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silviu O Petrovan
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - David C Aldridge
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Harriet Bartlett
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Andrew J Bladon
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Hollie Booth
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Steven Broad
- TRAFFIC, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Donald M Broom
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Neil D Burgess
- UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntington Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, U.K.,GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark
| | - Sarah Cleaveland
- Institute of Biodiversity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, U.K
| | | | - Maurizio Ferri
- Italian Society of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (Simevep), Via Nizza 11, Rome, 00198, Italy
| | - Amy Hinsley
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Alice C Hughes
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, 666303, P.R. China
| | - Kate Jones
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Moira Kelly
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium
| | - George Mayes
- MacArthur Barstow & Gibbs Veterinary Surgeons, 36 Hanbury Road, Droitwich, WR9 8PW, U.K
| | - Milorad Radakovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - Chinedu A Ugwu
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Disease, Redeemers' University Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Nasir Uddin
- Centre for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, 666303, P.R. China
| | - Diogo Veríssimo
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K.,Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA, 92027, U.S.A
| | - Christian Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna, A-1160, Austria.,Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, U.S.A
| | - Thomas B White
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - James L Wood
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, U.K
| | - William J Sutherland
- BioRISC (Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine's), St Catharine's College, Cambridge, CB2 1RL, U.K.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
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33
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Shivaprakash KN, Sen S, Paul S, Kiesecker JM, Bawa KS. Mammals, wildlife trade, and the next global pandemic. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3671-3677.e3. [PMID: 34237267 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Most new infectious diseases emerge when pathogens transfer from animals to humans.1,2 The suspected origin of the COVID pandemic in a wildlife wet market has resurfaced debates on the role of wildlife trade as a potential source of emerging zoonotic diseases.3-5 Yet there are no studies quantitatively assessing zoonotic disease risk associated with wildlife trade. Combining data on mammal species hosting zoonotic viruses and mammals known to be in current and future wildlife trade,6 we found that one-quarter (26.5%) of the mammals in wildlife trade harbor 75% of known zoonotic viruses, a level much higher than domesticated and non-traded mammals. The traded mammals also harbor distinct compositions of zoonotic viruses and different host reservoirs from non-traded and domesticated mammals. Furthermore, we highlight that primates, ungulates, carnivores, and bats represent significant zoonotic disease risks as they host 132 (58%) of 226 known zoonotic viruses in present wildlife trade, whereas species of bats, rodents, and marsupials represent significant zoonotic disease risks in future wildlife trade. Thus, the risk of carrying zoonotic diseases is not equal for all mammal species in wildlife trade. Overall, our findings strengthen the evidence that wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risks are strongly associated, and that mitigation measures should prioritize species with the highest risk of carrying zoonotic viruses. Curbing the sales of wildlife products and developing principles that support the sustainable and healthy trade of wildlife could be cost-effective investments given the potential risk and consequences of zoonotic outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandeep Sen
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Sriramapura, Jakkur Post, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Seema Paul
- The Nature Conservancy Center, Lajpat Nagar III, New Delhi 110024, India
| | - Joseph M Kiesecker
- Global Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
| | - Kamaljit S Bawa
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Sriramapura, Jakkur Post, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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Hilderink M, de Winter I. No need to beat around the bushmeat-The role of wildlife trade and conservation initiatives in the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07692. [PMID: 34386637 PMCID: PMC8342965 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife species constitute a vast and uncharted reservoir of zoonotic pathogens that can pose a severe threat to global human health. Zoonoses have become increasingly impactful over the past decades, and the expanding trade in wildlife is unarguably among the most significant risk factors for their emergence. Despite several warnings from the academic community about the spillover risks associated with wildlife trade, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic underlines that current policies on the wildlife industry are deficient. Conservation initiatives, rather than practices that attempt to eradicate zoonotic pathogens or the wild species that harbour them, could play a vital role in preventing the emergence of life-threatening zoonoses. This review explores how wildlife conservation initiatives could effectively reduce the risk of new zoonotic diseases emerging from the wildlife trade by integrating existing literature on zoonotic diseases and risk factors associated with wildlife trade. Conservation should mainly aim at reducing human-wildlife interactions in the wildlife trade by protecting wildlife habitats and providing local communities with alternative protein sources. In addition, conservation should focus on regulating the legal wildlife trade and education about disease transfer and safer hunting and butchering methods. By uniting efforts for wildlife protection and universal concern for preventing zoonotic epidemics, conservation initiatives have the potential to safeguard both biodiversity, animal welfare, and global human health security.
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Fischhoff IR, Castellanos AA, Rodrigues JP, Varsani A, Han BA. Predicting the zoonotic capacity of mammals to transmit SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.02.18.431844. [PMID: 33619481 PMCID: PMC7899445 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.18.431844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Back and forth transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between humans and animals may lead to wild reservoirs of virus that can endanger efforts toward long-term control of COVID-19 in people, and protecting vulnerable animal populations that are particularly susceptible to lethal disease. Predicting high risk host species is key to targeting field surveillance and lab experiments that validate host zoonotic potential. A major bottleneck to predicting animal hosts is the small number of species with available molecular information about the structure of ACE2, a key cellular receptor required for viral cell entry. We overcome this bottleneck by combining species' ecological and biological traits with 3D modeling of virus and host cell protein interactions using machine learning methods. This approach enables predictions about the zoonotic capacity of SARS-CoV-2 for over 5,000 mammals - an order of magnitude more species than previously possible. The high accuracy predictions achieved by this approach are strongly corroborated by in vivo empirical studies. We identify numerous common mammal species whose predicted zoonotic capacity and close proximity to humans may further enhance the risk of spillover and spillback transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Our results reveal high priority areas of geographic overlap between global COVID-19 hotspots and potential new mammal hosts of SARS-CoV-2. With molecular sequence data available for only a small fraction of potential host species, predictive modeling integrating data across multiple biological scales offers a conceptual advance that may expand our predictive capacity for zoonotic viruses with similarly unknown and potentially broad host ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya R. Fischhoff
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Box AB Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | | | - João P.G.L.M. Rodrigues
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Barbara A. Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Box AB Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
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Xiao X, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW, Zhou ZM. Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11898. [PMID: 34099828 PMCID: PMC8184983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91470-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we document 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species sold between May 2017 and November 2019 in Wuhan’s markets. We note that no pangolins (or bats) were traded, supporting reformed opinion that pangolins were not likely the spillover host at the source of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While we caution against the misattribution of COVID-19’s origins, the wild animals on sale in Wuhan suffered poor welfare and hygiene conditions and we detail a range of other zoonotic infections they can potentially vector. Nevertheless, in a precautionary response to COVID-19, China’s Ministries temporarily banned all wildlife trade on 26th Jan 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic concludes, and permanently banned eating and trading terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food on 24th Feb 2020. These interventions, intended to protect human health, redress previous trading and enforcement inconsistencies, and will have collateral benefits for global biodiversity conservation and animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, People's Republic of China.,Lab Animal Research Center, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Cook's Lake Farming, Forestry and Wildlife Inc. (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS, Canada
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Cook's Lake Farming, Forestry and Wildlife Inc. (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS, Canada.,Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia/ Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zhao-Min Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Biodiversity Conservation (Sichuan Province), China West Normal University, Nanchong, People's Republic of China.
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Reaser JK, Witt A, Tabor GM, Hudson PJ, Plowright RK. Ecological countermeasures for preventing zoonotic disease outbreaks: when ecological restoration is a human health imperative. Restor Ecol 2021; 29:e13357. [PMID: 33785998 PMCID: PMC7995086 DOI: 10.1111/rec.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ecological restoration should be regarded as a public health service. Unfortunately, the lack of quantitative linkages between environmental and human health has limited recognition of this principle. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic provides the impetus for further discussion. We propose ecological countermeasures as highly targeted, landscape-based interventions to arrest the drivers of land use-induced zoonotic spillover. We provide examples of ecological restoration activities that reduce zoonotic disease risk and a five-point action plan at the human-ecosystem health nexus. In conclusion, we make the case that ecological countermeasures are a tenet of restoration ecology with human health goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie K. Reaser
- Center for Large Landscape ConservationP.O. Box 1587BozemanMT59715U.S.A.
- George Mason UniversityDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy4400 University DriveFairfaxVA22030U.S.A.
- University of Rhode IslandDepartment of Natural Resource Science1 Greenhouse RoadKingstonRI02881U.S.A.
| | - Arne Witt
- CABICanary Bird 673, Limuru RoadNairobiKenya
| | - Gary M. Tabor
- Center for Large Landscape ConservationP.O. Box 1587BozemanMT59715U.S.A.
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State University208 Curtin Road, State CollegePA16801U.S.A.
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and ImmunologyP.O. Box 173520BozemanMT59717U.S.A.
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Harrington LA, Auliya M, Eckman H, Harrington AP, Macdonald DW, D'Cruze N. Live wild animal exports to supply the exotic pet trade: A case study from Togo using publicly available social media data. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Harrington
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Mark Auliya
- Department of Conservation Biology Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | | | - Alix P. Harrington
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Neil D'Cruze
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
- World Animal Protection London UK
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Tompros A, Dean AD, Fenton A, Wilber MQ, Carter ED, Gray MJ. Frequency-dependent transmission of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in eastern newts. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:731-741. [PMID: 33617686 PMCID: PMC9290712 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Transmission is the fundamental process whereby pathogens infect their hosts and spread through populations, and can be characterized using mathematical functions. The functional form of transmission for emerging pathogens can determine pathogen impacts on host populations and can inform the efficacy of disease management strategies. By directly measuring transmission between infected and susceptible adult eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in aquatic mesocosms, we identified the most plausible transmission function for the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Although we considered a range of possible transmission functions, we found that Bsal transmission was best explained by pure frequency dependence. We observed that >90% of susceptible newts became infected within 17 days post‐exposure to an infected newt across a range of host densities and initial infection prevalence treatments. Under these conditions, we estimated R0 = 4.9 for Bsal in an eastern newt population. Our results suggest that Bsal has the capability of driving eastern newt populations to extinction and that managing host density may not be an effective management strategy. Intervention strategies that prevent Bsal introduction or increase host resistance or tolerance to infection may be more effective. Our results add to the growing empirical evidence that transmission of wildlife pathogens can saturate and be functionally frequency‐dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Tompros
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Andrew D Dean
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark Q Wilber
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Edward Davis Carter
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew J Gray
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Bernete Perdomo E, Araña Padilla JE, Dewitte S. Amelioration of Pet Overpopulation and Abandonment Using Control of Breeding and Sale, and Compulsory Owner Liability Insurance. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020524. [PMID: 33670459 PMCID: PMC7922531 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Overpopulation and abandonment of pets are long-standing and burgeoning concerns that involve uncontrolled breeding and selling, illegal trafficking, overpopulation, and pet-safety and well-being issues. Historical and current prevention measures for avoiding these problems, such as sanctions, taxes, or responsibility education, have failed to provide significant moderation or resolution. Globally, millions of pets are commercially and privately bred and abandoned annually, damaging biodiversity and ecosystems, and presenting road safety and public health risks, in addition to becoming victims of hardship, abuse, and illegal trafficking, especially in the case of exotic species. This article proposes a novel comprehensive management system for amelioration of overpopulation and abandonment of pets by using greater control of supply and demand of the pet market, highlighting the role of the compulsory owner liability insurance to prevent pet abandonment and all its associated costs. This system aims to act preventatively, through flexible protocols within the proposed management system to be applied to any pet and any country. Abstract Overpopulation and abandonment of pets are long-standing and burgeoning concerns that involve uncontrolled breeding and selling, illegal trafficking, overpopulation, and pet safety and well-being issues. Abandonment of pets creates numerous negative externalities and multimillion-dollar costs, in addition to severe consequences and problems concerning animal welfare (e.g., starvation, untreated disease, climatic extremes, uncertainty of rescue and adoption), ecological (e.g., invasive species and introduction of novel pathogens), public health and safety (e.g., risks to people from bites, zoonoses, or road hazards), and economic (e.g., financial burdens for governmental and nongovernmental organizations). These interwoven problems persist for several reasons, including the following: (1) lack of an efficient system for the prevention of abandonment and overpopulation, (2) lack of regulatory liability for pet owners, (3) lack of legal alternative to abandonment. This article proposes a novel comprehensive management system for amelioration of overpopulation and abandonment of pets aimed to tackle the current supply and demand dysfunction of the pet market and provide a legal alternative to abandonment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bernete Perdomo
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;
- Correspondence:
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D’Cruze N, Green J, Elwin A, Schmidt-Burbach J. Trading Tactics: Time to Rethink the Global Trade in Wildlife. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2456. [PMID: 33371486 PMCID: PMC7767496 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 outbreak has brought about fresh and intensified scrutiny of the wildlife trade, which substantively involves commerce in exotic pets. In response, major policy decisions involving trade bans have ensued, with calls for similar such action to be applied across the trade chain. Yet, these measures have been criticised, largely based on concerns that they risk exacerbating poverty, undermining human rights, damaging conservation incentives, and otherwise harming sustainable development and conservation efforts. Instead, many critics propose improved regulation of the status quo, with the intention of nurturing a legal, sustainable, safe, humane, and equitable wildlife trade. Herein, we provide a countering view that outlines how the risks presented by the wildlife trade are becoming increasingly recognised as being both manifold and severe; and raise concerns that the goal of a well-regulated wildlife trade is becoming increasingly exposed as a mirage. We conclude that while pursuing the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (with their focus on poverty alleviation, food security, public health, and conservation) is enduringly vital, a flourishing wildlife trade is not. Given that the exploitation of wildlife, including for the pet trade, has been identified as one of the dominant drivers of biodiversity loss, emergence of zoonotic infectious disease, animal suffering, and financial instability, perpetuating the concept of utilising a regulated wildlife trade as the default approach to protect people and planet is in urgent need of re-evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil D’Cruze
- World Animal Protection, 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (A.E.); (J.S.-B.)
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Turning Negatives into Positives for Pet Trading and Keeping: A Review of Positive Lists. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122371. [PMID: 33322002 PMCID: PMC7763047 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In regulating the trading and keeping of exotic pets, lawmakers seek to protect animal welfare, prevent species declines, and safeguard biodiversity. The public also requires protection from pet-related injuries and animal-to-human diseases. Most legislation concerning exotic pet trading and keeping involves restricting or banning problematic species, a practice known as “negative listing”. However, an alternative approach adopted by some governments permits only those species that meet certain scientifically proven criteria to be sold and kept as pets. Thus, governments may “positively list” only those species that are suitable to keep in domestic settings and that do not present a disproportionate risk to people or the environment. We reviewed international, national, and regional legislation in Europe, the United States, and Canada and found that largely unpublished and often inconsistent criteria are used for the development of negative and positive lists. We also conducted online surveys of governments, which received limited responses, although telephone interviews with governments either considering or developing positive lists revealed insights regarding their interest and motivation towards positive lists. We discuss key issues raised by civil servants including the perceived advantages of positive lists and challenges they anticipate in drawing up suitable lists of species. We compare functions of negative and positive lists and offer recommendations to governments concerning the development and implementation of positive lists. Abstract The trading and keeping of exotic pets are associated with animal welfare, conservation, environmental protection, agricultural animal health, and public health concerns and present serious regulatory challenges to legislators and enforcers. Most legislation concerning exotic pet trading and keeping involves restricting or banning problematic species, a practice known as “negative listing”. However, an alternative approach adopted by some governments permits only the keeping of animals that meet certain scientifically proven criteria as suitable in respect of species, environmental, and public health and safety protections. We conducted an evaluation of positive lists for the regulation of pet trading and keeping within the context of the more prevalent system of restricting or prohibiting species via negative lists. Our examination of international, national, and regional regulations in Europe, the United States, and Canada found that criteria used for the development of both negative and positive lists were inconsistent or non-specific. Our online surveys of governments received limited responses, although telephone interviews with officials from governments either considering or developing positive lists provided useful insights into their attitudes and motivations towards adopting positive lists. We discuss key issues raised by civil servants including perceived advantages of positive lists and anticipated challenges when developing lists of suitable species. In addition, we compare functions of negative and positive lists, and recommend key principles that we hope will be helpful to governments concerning development and implementation of regulations based on positive lists.
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Elwin A, Green J, D’Cruze N. On the Record: An Analysis of Exotic Pet Licences in the UK. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2373. [PMID: 33322026 PMCID: PMC7763562 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Keeping exotic pets has become a popular habit in the UK in recent decades. Yet, information on the current scale of the trade and the diversity of animals involved is lacking. Here, we review the licensed sale of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals as exotic pets in the UK, identifying current geographical hotspots of trader activity, data gaps, and compliance issues related to this trade. In terms of trade volume, records showed large numbers of individual wild animals, across a wide range of species groups, are being legally sold in the UK. Maximum numbers of exotic pets permitted for sale included 54,634 amphibians, 64,810 reptiles, 23,507 birds, and 6,479 mammals. Moreover, nearly 2000 pet traders located in 283 different local authority areas had permission to sell exotic pets. The scope and scale of the trade draws additional attention to the substantial animal welfare challenges associated with it, and our review serves to highlight several shortcomings associated with the licensed exotic pet trade in the UK. Pet shop licences often lacked detailed information about the specific type and number of animals permitted for sale, which raises compliance concerns and hinders efforts to carry out adequate inspection and monitoring. Ninety-five pet traders in England had been given a one star rating, indicating 'minor failings' in animal welfare, and some local authorities in England were still operating under the old Pet Animals Act (1951). We recommend that resources should be prioritised and focused towards local authorities in England that are not operating under the new Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations (2018), and that local authorities should improve data reporting on all licenses issued to aid inspection and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Neil D’Cruze
- World Animal Protection, 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (A.E.); (J.G.)
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44
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Halbwax M. Addressing the illegal wildlife trade in the European Union as a public health issue to draw decision makers attention. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2020; 251:108798. [PMID: 33071292 PMCID: PMC7550130 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The European Union is one of the most important markets for the trafficking of endangered species and a major transit point for illegal wildlife trade. The latter is not only one of the most important anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss, it also represents a growing risk for public health. Indeed, wildlife trade exposes humans to a plethora of severe emerging infectious diseases, some of which have contributed to the most dramatic global pandemics humankind has endured. Illegal wildlife trade is often considered as a problem of developing countries but it is first and foremost an international global business with a trade flow from developing to developed countries. The devastating effects of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 outbreak should thus be an unassailable argument for European decision makers to change paradigm. Rather than deploying efforts and money to combat novel pathogens, mitigating the risk of spreading emerging infectious diseases should be addressed and be part of any sustainable socioeconomic development plan. Stricter control procedures at borders and policies should be enforced. Additionally, strengthening research in wildlife forensic science and developing a network of forensic laboratories should be the cornerstone of the European Union plan to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Such proactive approach, that should further figure in the EU-Wildlife Action Plan, could produce a win-win situation: the curb of illegal wildlife trade would subsequently diminish the likelihood of importing new zoonotic diseases in the European Union.
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You M. Changes of China's regulatory regime on commercial artificial breeding of terrestrial wildlife in time of COVID-19 outbreak and impacts on the future. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2020; 250:108756. [PMID: 32863392 PMCID: PMC7442901 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The basic attitude of Chinese law towards wildlife resources is differentiated protection plus rational utilizations. Artificial breeding of terrestrial wildlife was a big business and a way to alleviate poverty, but also raised concerns over wildlife conservation and public health. China's complete ban on the consumption of terrestrial wildlife, whether wild-sourced or artificially bred, was a drastic change of China's legal regime on wildlife conservation and commercial artificial breeding. This change will have impacts on the drafting of a new Biosafety Law and the revision and enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Law, the Husbandry law, the Fisheries Law, and the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqing You
- Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China
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46
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Green J, Jakins C, Asfaw E, Bruschi N, Parker A, de Waal L, D’Cruze N. African Lions and Zoonotic Diseases: Implications for Commercial Lion Farms in South Africa. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091692. [PMID: 32962130 PMCID: PMC7552683 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In South Africa, thousands of African lions are bred on farms for commercial purposes, such as tourism, trophy hunting, and traditional medicine. Lions on farms often have direct contact with people, such as farm workers and tourists. Such close contact between wild animals and humans creates opportunities for the spread of zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be passed between animals and people). To help understand the health risks associated with lion farms, our study compiled a list of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) known to affect African lions. We reviewed 148 scientific papers and identified a total of 63 pathogens recorded in both wild and captive lions, most of which were parasites (35, 56%), followed by viruses (17, 27%) and bacteria (11, 17%). This included pathogens that can be passed from lions to other animals and to humans. We also found a total of 83 diseases and clinical symptoms associated with these pathogens. Given that pathogens and their associated infectious diseases can cause harm to both animals and public health, we recommend that the lion farming industry in South Africa takes action to prevent and manage potential disease outbreaks. Abstract African lions (Panthera leo) are bred in captivity on commercial farms across South Africa and often have close contact with farm staff, tourists, and other industry workers. As transmission of zoonotic diseases occurs through close proximity between wildlife and humans, these commercial captive breeding operations pose a potential risk to thousands of captive lions and to public health. An understanding of pathogens known to affect lions is needed to effectively assess the risk of disease emergence and transmission within the industry. Here, we conduct a systematic search of the academic literature, identifying 148 peer-reviewed studies, to summarize the range of pathogens and parasites known to affect African lions. A total of 63 pathogenic organisms were recorded, belonging to 35 genera across 30 taxonomic families. Over half were parasites (35, 56%), followed by viruses (17, 27%) and bacteria (11, 17%). A number of novel pathogens representing unidentified and undescribed species were also reported. Among the pathogenic inventory are species that can be transmitted from lions to other species, including humans. In addition, 83 clinical symptoms and diseases associated with these pathogens were identified. Given the risks posed by infectious diseases, this research highlights the potential public health risks associated with the captive breeding industry. We recommend that relevant authorities take imminent action to help prevent and manage the risks posed by zoonotic pathogens on lion farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennah Green
- World Animal Protection 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (E.A.); (N.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Catherine Jakins
- Blood Lion NPC, P.O. Box 1548, Kloof 3640, South Africa; (C.J.); (L.d.W.)
| | - Eyob Asfaw
- World Animal Protection 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (E.A.); (N.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Nicholas Bruschi
- World Animal Protection 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (E.A.); (N.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Abbie Parker
- World Animal Protection 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (E.A.); (N.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Louise de Waal
- Blood Lion NPC, P.O. Box 1548, Kloof 3640, South Africa; (C.J.); (L.d.W.)
| | - Neil D’Cruze
- World Animal Protection 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (E.A.); (N.B.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence:
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Green J, Coulthard E, Norrey J, Megson D, D’Cruze N. Risky Business: Live Non-CITES Wildlife UK Imports and the Potential for Infectious Diseases. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1632. [PMID: 32932890 PMCID: PMC7552149 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
International wildlife trade is recognised as a major transmission pathway for the movement of pathogenic organisms around the world. The UK is an active consumer of non-native live wild animals and is therefore subject to the risks posed by pathogen pollution from imported wildlife. Here, we characterise a key yet overlooked portion of the UK wildlife import market. We evaluate the trade in live non-CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) wild terrestrial animals entering the UK over a 5-year period using data reported by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Between 2014 and 2018, over 48 million individual animals, across five taxonomic classes and 24 taxonomic orders, were imported into the UK from 90 countries across nine global regions. The largest volumes of wild animals were imported from North America and Asia, and most of the import records were from Europe and Africa. Excluding Columbiformes (pigeons) and Galliformes ('game birds'), amphibians were the most imported taxonomic class (73%), followed by reptiles (17%), mammals (4%), birds (3%), and arachnids (<1%). The records described herein provide insight into the scope and scale of non-CITES listed wildlife imported in to the UK. We describe the potential for pathogen pollution from these vast and varied wildlife imports and highlight the potential threats they pose to public health. We also draw attention to the lack of detail in the UK wildlife import records, which limits its ability to help prevent and manage introduced infectious diseases. We recommend that improved record keeping and reporting could prove beneficial in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennah Green
- World Animal Protection, 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK;
| | - Emma Coulthard
- Ecology & Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GB, UK; (E.C.); (J.N.); (D.M.)
| | - John Norrey
- Ecology & Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GB, UK; (E.C.); (J.N.); (D.M.)
| | - David Megson
- Ecology & Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GB, UK; (E.C.); (J.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Neil D’Cruze
- World Animal Protection, 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK;
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
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Rupani PF, Nilashi M, Abumalloh RA, Asadi S, Samad S, Wang S. Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and its natural environmental impacts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : IJEST 2020; 17:4655-4666. [PMID: 32904898 PMCID: PMC7459942 DOI: 10.1007/s13762-020-02910-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the official name of a respiratory infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus that started first in Wuhan, China, and outspread worldwide with an unexpectedly fast speed. Flights have been canceled worldwide and transportation has been closed nationwide and across international borders. As a consequence, the economic activity has been stopped and stock markets have been dropped. The COVID-19 lockdown has several social and economic effects. Additionally, COVID-19 has caused several impacts on global migration. On the other hand, such lockdown, along with minimal human mobility, has impacted the natural environment somewhat positively. Overall carbon emissions have dropped, and the COVID-19 lockdown has led to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in water pollution in many cities around the globe. A summary of the existing reports of the environmental impacts of COVID-19 pandemic are discussed and the important findings are presented focusing on several aspects: air pollution, waste management, air quality improvements, waste fires, wildlife, global migration, and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. F. Rupani
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
| | - M. Nilashi
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000 Vietnam
| | - R. A. Abumalloh
- Computer Department, Community College, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box. 1982, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Asadi
- Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Malaysia
| | - S. Samad
- Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Wang
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
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Borsky S, Hennighausen H, Leiter A, Williges K. CITES and the Zoonotic Disease Content in International Wildlife Trade. ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2020; 76:1001-1017. [PMID: 32836860 PMCID: PMC7399621 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00456-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
International trade in wildlife is one contributing factor to zoonotic disease risk. Using descriptive statistics, this paper shows that in the last decades, the volume and pattern of internationally traded wildlife has changed considerably and, with it, the zoonotic pathogens that are traded. In an econometric analysis, we give evidence that an international environmental trade agreement could be used to limit the spread of zoonotic pathogens and disease. More specifically, combining zoonotic disease data with wildlife trade data from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Fauna (CITES), we show that making trade requirements more stringent leads to a decrease in the number of animals traded and, incidentally, also the number of zoonotic diseases that are traded. Our results contribute to the discussion of policy measures that manage the spread of zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Borsky
- Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, AT-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Hannah Hennighausen
- Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, AT-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Leiter
- Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck, Universitaetsstrasse 15, AT-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Keith Williges
- Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, AT-8010 Graz, Austria
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D'Cruze N, Harrington LA, Assou D, Green J, Macdonald DW, Ronfot D, Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto G, Auliya M. Betting the farm: A review of Ball Python and other reptile trade from Togo, West Africa. NATURE CONSERVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.40.48046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Our review of the CITES trade database confirmed that the ball python is the most exported species by Togo; with 1,657,814 live individuals – comprising 60% of all live reptiles – reported by importing countries since 1978 (almost 55,000 annually since 1992). In total, 99% of the ball pythons legally exported from Togo under CITES were intended for commercial use, presumably as exotic pets. Since the turn of the century, wild-sourced snakes exported from Togo have been largely replaced with ranched snakes, to the extent that in the last 10 years 95% of these live exports were recorded using CITES source code “R” with the majority destined for the USA. We found discrepancies in the CITES trade database that suggest ball python exports were consistently underestimated by Togo and that both ranched and wild-sourced ball python annual quotas have been exceeded on multiple occasions including as recently as 2017. Furthermore, our field visits to seven of these “python farms” revealed that they are also involved in the commercial trade in at least 46 other reptile species, including eight that are already involved in formal CITES trade reviews due to concerns regarding their sustainability and legality. Ranching operations in West Africa were once thought to provide a degree of protection for the ball python; however, in light of recent research, there is growing concern that ranching may not confer any significant net conservation benefits. Further scrutiny and research are required to ensure the long-term survival of wild ball python and other reptile species populations in Togo.
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