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Escobar-González M, López-Martín JM, Mentaberre G, Valldeperes M, Estruch J, Tampach S, Castillo-Contreras R, Conejero C, Roldán J, Lavín S, Serrano E, López-Olvera JR. Evaluating hunting and capture methods for urban wild boar population management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173463. [PMID: 38802001 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Wild ungulates are expanding in range and number worldwide leading to an urgent need to manage their populations to minimize conflicts and promote coexistence with humans. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona (MAB), wild boar is the main wildlife species causing a nuisance, from traffic accidents to health risks. Selective harvesting of specific sex and age classes and reducing anthropogenic food resources would be the most efficient approach to dealing with overpopulation. Nonetheless, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the age and sex selectivity of the capture methods currently applied in the MAB for wild boar population control. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the performance and age and sex bias of different hunting and capture methods and the seasonal patterns in their performance (number of captured individuals per event). From February 2014 to August 2022, 1454 wild boars were captured in the MAB using drop net, teleanaesthesia, cage traps, night stalks, and drive hunting. We applied generalized linear models (GLM) to compare the performance of these methods for the total number of wild boars, the wild boars belonging to each age category (i.e., adult, yearling, and juvenile), and for each season. The studied capture methods showed age-class bias and sex bias in adults (>2 years). Drive hunting and drop net removed mainly adult females and yearlings (1-2 years), with drive hunting having the highest performance for adult males. Instead, cage traps and drop net were the best methods to capture juveniles (<1 year). Overall, global performance was higher in summer, decreasingly followed by autumn and spring, winter being the worst performing season. Wildlife managers and researchers should consider the different performance and sex and age bias of each hunting and capture method, as well as the associated public cost, to improve efficiency and achieve the best results in wild boar population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Escobar-González
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Josep-Maria López-Martín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Marta Valldeperes
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Estruch
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefania Tampach
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Fundación Artemisan, Avda. Rey Santo 8, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Roldán
- Forestal Catalana SA, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Conejero C, González-Crespo C, Fatjó J, Castillo-Contreras R, Serrano E, Lavín S, Mentaberre G, López-Olvera JR. Between conflict and reciprocal habituation: Human-wild boar coexistence in urban areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 936:173258. [PMID: 38761929 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization is an ongoing global environmental change. Wildlife may respond using anthropized environments and resources, which is known as synurbization, creating human-wildlife interactions. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have become common in urban areas, including the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Humans respond to wild boars in urban environments either habituating, with lower conflict perception and higher wild boar acceptance, or sensitizing, with reduced tolerance towards wild boars. Since citizen response influences conflict management, this study analysed the drivers of human responses, which should allow adopting socially-accepted measures to manage synurbic wild boar populations. Interviews to 1956 Barcelona citizens were performed, grouping the response variables to score citizen and urban characteristics, as well as citizen lay-knowledge, emotions, experiences, and perception of wild boar. Five citizen clusters were identified: cluster 1 (3.3 %), highly habituated and active wild boar feeder; cluster 2 (11.3 %), habituated to wild boars with positive feelings; cluster 3 (19.8 %), not habituated nor sensitized, willing to maintain urban wild boar populations; cluster 4 (29.1 %), sensitized and concerned, defending to reduce wild boar; and cluster 5 (40.1 %), highly sensitized and proposing to reduce or even eliminate wild boar. Positive attitudes associated wild boar to aesthetic value, closeness to nature and sympathy, and were more frequent in young citizens with urban background and high education, animal lovers habituated to wild boar through contact without negative experiences. Conversely, negative attitudes were concerned about city fouling, safety or health, accepted lethal management measures, and were more frequent in older citizens with rural background, lower education, low contact with wild boar or sensitized through negative experiences. We document for the first time the sensitization and reciprocal habituation of humans to wild boar in urban areas. The identification of the drivers of citizen attitudes towards urban wildlife should be useful to design socially-accepted management measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Conejero
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos González-Crespo
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Fatjó
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine (Affinity Foundation Chair for Animals and Health), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agroalimentària i Forestal i de Veterinària (ETSEAFIV) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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3
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Gonkowski S, Tzatzarakis M, Vakonaki E, Meschini E, Könyves L, Rytel L. Concentration levels of phthalate metabolites in wild boar hair samples. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17228. [PMID: 39060311 PMCID: PMC11282317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Phthalates used in the industry penetrate the environment and negatively affect humans and animals. Hair samples seem to be the best matrix for studies on long-term exposure to phthalates, but till now they were used only in investigations on humans. Moreover, the knowledge of the wild terrestrial animal exposure to phthalates is extremely limited. This study aimed to establish of concentration levels of selected phthalate metabolites (i.e. monomethyl phthalate-MMP, monoethyl phthalate-MEP, mono-isobutyl phthalate-MiBP, monobutyl phthalate-MBP, monobenzyl phthalate-MBzP, mono-cyclohexyl phthalate-MCHP, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-MEHP and mono-n-octyl phthalate-MOP) in wild boar hair samples using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. MEHP was noted in 90.7% of samples with mean 66.17 ± 58.69 pg/mg (median 49.35 pg/mg), MMP in 59.3% with mean 145.1 ± 310.6 pg/mg (median 64.45 pg/mg), MiBP in 37.0% with mean 56.96 ± 119.4 pg/mg (median < limit of detection-LOD), MBP in 35.2% with mean 19.97 ± 34.38 pg/mg (median < LOD) and MBzP in 1.9% with concentration below limit of quantification. MEP, MCHP, and MOP have not been found in wild boar hair samples during this study. The results have shown that wild boars are exposed to phthalates and hair samples may be used as a matrix during studies on levels of phthalate metabolites in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slawomir Gonkowski
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-957, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Manolis Tzatzarakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elena Vakonaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elena Meschini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - László Könyves
- Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | - Liliana Rytel
- Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowski Str. 14, 10-718, Olsztyn, Poland.
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Colomer J, Massei G, Roos D, Rosell C, Rodríguez-Teijeiro JD. What drives wild boar density and population growth in Mediterranean environments? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172739. [PMID: 38697537 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Accurate prediction of fluctuations of wildlife local number of individuals is crucial for effective population management to minimise human-wildlife conflicts. Climate, habitat, food availability, and density dependence are among the main factors influencing mammalian population dynamics. In southern Europe, precipitation and temperature, particularly during summer have been suggested as key factors affecting wild boar (Sus scrofa L.). However, there is uncertainty regarding the role of these factors and the mechanisms driving population fluctuations. This study utilized long-term data of wild boar populations from 14 study sites collected for 23 years in Catalonia, Spain, to analyse the factors that drive population density and growth rate. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM) explained respectively, 94 % and 65 % of the density and growth rate variability. Spring precipitation in both current and previous year, female weight, and forest cover (particularly above 60 %) were directly associated with higher wild boar densities and population growth rates. The interaction between crop cover and total annual precipitation also played a significant role in determining population density. Higher densities were linked to lower population growth in the following year, likely due to a density-dependent process. These results suggest that the expected decrease in rainfall linked with global warming may limit the availability of natural resources and potentially slow wild boar population growth. Nevertheless, wild boar can exploit alternative anthropogenic food sources, potentially leading to an increase of human-wildlife conflicts. Therefore, incorporating management policies aimed at restricting wild boar access to human food sources is key for controlling their reproductive output. Additionally, landscape management strategies targeted at diminishing refuge and resource availability in regions experiencing high wild boar impact are essential for contributing to sustainable coexistence between wild boars and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Colomer
- Minuartia, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - G Massei
- Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control Europe, UK; Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, 290 Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - D Roos
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - C Rosell
- Minuartia, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J D Rodríguez-Teijeiro
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Gonkowski S, Tzatzarakis M, Vakonaki E, Meschini E, Könyves L, Rytel L. Biomonitoring of parabens in wild boars through hair samples analysis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297938. [PMID: 38381722 PMCID: PMC10880979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Parabens are compounds widely utilized in the industry as preservative additives to personal care products, cosmetics and food. They pollute the environment and penetrate to the living organisms through the digestive tract, respiratory system and skin. Till now the knowledge about exposure of terrestrial wild mammals to parabens is extremely scarce. Therefore, this study for the first time assessed the concentration levels of five parabens commonly used in industry (methylparaben-MeP, ethylparaben-EtP propylparaben-PrP, benzylparaben -BeP and butylparaben-BuP). Substances have been analyzed in hair samples collected from wild boars using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. The hair is a matrix, which allows to study long-term exposure of organisms to parabens. During this study MeP was noted in 96.3% of samples with mean 88.3±72.9 pg/mg, PrP in 87.0% of samples with mean 8.5±3.3 pg/mg, BeP in 44.4% of samples with mean 17.2±12.3 pg/mg and EtP in 11.1% of samples with mean 17.2±4.8 pg/mg. In turn BuP was noted only in 3.7% of samples with concentration levels below limit of quantification (2.6 pg/mg). Statistically significant intragender differences in parabens levels have not been noted. Only BeP concentration levels depended on industrialization and density of human population of area, where the animals lived. This study indicates that wild boars are exposed to parabens, especially to MeP and PrP, and analysis of the hair seems to be a useful tool of biomonitoring of parabens in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sławomir Gonkowski
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Manolis Tzatzarakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elena Vakonaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elena Meschini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - László Könyves
- Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Liliana Rytel
- Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
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Martijn B, Thomas N, Natalie B, Jim C. Impacts of zoning and landscape structure on the relative abundance of wild boar assessed through a Bayesian N-mixture model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168546. [PMID: 37979862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human-wild boar interactions have led to damage to agricultural crops, traffic collisions and disease transmissions. Dividing natural areas in zones with differential hunting pressure is one of the currently adopted management strategies. However, the effectiveness of this approach is under debate. Hence, there is a need to better understand how to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions effectively. Camera traps are cost-efficient, and non-invasive tools to monitor animal populations. N-mixture models can reliably estimate spatial variation in relative abundances when animals are imperfectly detected and/or cannot be individually identified. Thus, they are useful tools to infer the impacts of several factors on the land-use intensity of wild boar, based on camera trap data. In a nature area in central Belgium, we compare "summer" (April-September) land-use intensity of wild boar from 2018 until 2021 between three zones: a hunting free core zone, a winter hunting zone where hunting only takes place between November and March, and a year-round hunting zone. The latter is also close to the forest edge, agricultural crops and settlements. We compare spatial abundance models that capture these zone effects, or attractive effects of croplands, repulsive effects of hunting and repulsive effects of non-lethal human disturbances. We reveal between zone differences in wild boar land-use intensities across all summers. Additionally, we find that non-lethal human disturbance and croplands also explain variation in wild boar land-use intensity, but do not find negative associations with hunting locations. Our results suggest that the effects of zoning on wild boar land-use patterns are relevant in medium-sized natural areas. Moreover, we identify the need to install additional cameras outside of the managed area in order to assess the impacts of hunting in combination with non-lethal human activities on wild boar to mitigate negative human-wild boar interactions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bollen Martijn
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Neyens Thomas
- Data Science Institute, UHasselt -Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Leuven Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Beenaerts Natalie
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Casaer Jim
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
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7
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Baz-Flores S, Herraiz C, Peralbo-Moreno A, Barral M, Arnal MC, Balseiro A, Cano-Terriza D, Castro-Scholten S, Cevidanes A, Conde-Lizarralde A, Cuadrado-Matías R, Escribano F, de Luco DF, Fidalgo LE, Hermoso-de Mendoza J, Fandos P, Gómez-Guillamón F, Granados JE, Jiménez-Martín D, López-Olvera JR, Martín I, Martínez R, Mentaberre G, García-Bocanegra I, Ruiz-Fons F. Mapping the risk of exposure to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian Peninsula using Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a model. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102281. [PMID: 37995393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne zoonotic pathogen that can cause a lethal haemorrhagic disease in humans. Although the virus appears to be endemically established in the Iberian Peninsula, CCHF is an emerging disease in Spain. Clinical signs of CCHFV infection are mainly manifested in humans, but the virus replicates in several animal species. Understanding the determinants of CCHFV exposure risk from animal models is essential to predicting high-risk exposure hotspots for public health action. With this objective in mind, we designed a cross-sectional study of Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Spain and Portugal. The study analysed 5,291 sera collected between 2006 and 2022 from 90 wild boar populations with a specific double-antigen ELISA to estimate CCHFV serum prevalence and identify the main determinants of exposure probability. To do so, we statistically modelled exposure risk with host- and environment-related predictors and spatially projected it at a 10 × 10 km square resolution at the scale of the Iberian Peninsula to map foci of infection risk. Fifty-seven (63.3 %) of the 90 populations had at least one seropositive animal, with seroprevalence ranging from 0.0 to 88.2 %. Anti-CCHFV antibodies were found in 1,026 of 5,291 wild boar (19.4 %; 95 % confidence interval: 18.3-20.5 %), with highest exposure rates in southwestern Iberia. The most relevant predictors of virus exposure risk were wild boar abundance, local rainfall regime, shrub cover, winter air temperature and soil temperature variation. The spatial projection of the best-fit model identified high-risk foci as occurring in most of western and southwestern Iberia and identified recently confirmed risk foci in eastern Spain. The results of the study demonstrate that serological surveys of CCHFV vector hosts are a powerful, robust and highly informative tool for public health authorities to take action to prevent human cases of CCHF in enzootic and emergency settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Baz-Flores
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Cesar Herraiz
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Marta Barral
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Mari Cruz Arnal
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Balseiro
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Finca Marzanas, Grulleros, 24346 León, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Alazne Conde-Lizarralde
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Fernando Escribano
- Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre "El Valle", Ctra. Subida del Valle 62, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniel Fernández de Luco
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Luis Eusebio Fidalgo
- Departamento de Anatomía, Producción Animal y Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias (APAyCCV) Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Javier Hermoso-de Mendoza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | | | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - José E Granados
- Parque Nacional y Parque Natural Sierra Nevada, Carretera Antigua de Sierra Nevada km 7, 18071 Pinos Genil, Granada, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health (WE&H) research group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inés Martín
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain
| | - Remigio Martínez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology and Health Group (WE&H), Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agrària (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III,.
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8
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Carlos GC, Beatriz ML, Carles C, Raquel CC, Emmanuel S, Josep Maria LM, Jordi SC, Santiago L, Jorge Ramón LO. Assessing the epidemiological risk at the human-wild boar interface through a one health approach using an agent-based model in Barcelona, Spain. One Health 2023; 17:100598. [PMID: 37520846 PMCID: PMC10372376 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Wild boar (WB, Sus scrofa) populations are increasing in urban areas, posing an epidemiological risk for zoonotic pathogens such as hepatitis E virus (HEV) and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter (AMR-CAMP), as well as non-zoonotic pathogens such as African swine fever virus (ASFV). An epidemiological extension of a validated Agent-Based Model (ABM) was developed to assess the one-year epidemiological scenarios of HEV, AMR-CAMP, and ASFV in the synurbic WB-human interface in Barcelona, Spain. The predicted citizen exposure was similar for HEV and AMR-CAMP, at 0.79% and 0.80% of the human population in Barcelona, respectively, despite AMR-CAMP being more prevalent in the WB population than HEV. This suggests a major role of faeces in pathogen transmission to humans in urban areas, resulting in a non-negligible public health risk. The ASFV model predicted that the entire WB population would be exposed to the virus through carcasses (87.6%) or direct contact (12.6%) in 51-71 days after the first case, with an outbreak lasting 71-124 days and reducing the initial WB population by 95%. The ABM predictions are useful for animal and public health risk assessments and to support risk-based decision-making. The study underscores the need for interdisciplinary cooperation among animal, public, and environmental health managers, and the implementation of the One Health approach to address the epidemiological and public health risks posed by the synurbization of WB in urban areas. The spatially explicit epidemiological predictions of the ABM can be adapted to other diseases and scenarios at the wildlife-livestock-human interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- González-Crespo Carlos
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Martínez-López Beatriz
- Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Conejero Carles
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Castillo-Contreras Raquel
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Serrano Emmanuel
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - López-Martín Josep Maria
- Department of Climatic Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Serra-Cobo Jordi
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lavín Santiago
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - López-Olvera Jorge Ramón
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Hallam J, Harris NC. What's going to be on the menu with global environmental changes? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5744-5759. [PMID: 37458101 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16866] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing anthropogenic change is altering the planet at an unprecedented rate, threatening biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Species are responding to abiotic pressures at both individual and population levels, with changes affecting trophic interactions through consumptive pathways. Collectively, these impacts alter the goods and services that natural ecosystems will provide to society, as well as the persistence of all species. Here, we describe the physiological and behavioral responses of species to global changes on individual and population levels that result in detectable changes in diet across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We illustrate shifts in the dynamics of food webs with implications for animal communities. Additionally, we highlight the myriad of tools available for researchers to investigate the dynamics of consumption patterns and trophic interactions, arguing that diet data are a crucial component of ecological studies on global change. We suggest that a holistic approach integrating the complexities of diet choice and trophic interactions with environmental drivers may be more robust at resolving trends in biodiversity, predicting food web responses, and potentially identifying early warning signs of diversity loss. Ultimately, despite the growing body of long-term ecological datasets, there remains a dearth of diet ecology studies across temporal scales, a shortcoming that must be resolved to elucidate vulnerabilities to changing biophysical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Hallam
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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10
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Li Y, Hopkins AJM, Davis RA. Going, Going, Gone The Diminishing Capacity of Museum Specimen Collections to Address Global Change Research: A Case Study on Urban Reptiles. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13061078. [PMID: 36978619 PMCID: PMC10044672 DOI: 10.3390/ani13061078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been increasingly popular to use natural history specimens to examine environmental changes. As the current functionality of museum specimens has extended beyond their traditional taxonomic role, there has been a renewed focus on the completeness of biological collections to provide data for current and future research. We used the collections of the Western Australian Museum to answer questions about the change in occurrence of five common reptile species due to the rapid urbanization of Perth. We recorded a significant decline in collection effort from the year 2000 onwards (F = 7.65, p < 0.01) compared to the period 1990–1999. Spatial analysis revealed that only 0.5% of our study region was well sampled, 8.5% were moderately sampled and the majority of the regions (91%) were poorly sampled. By analysing the trend of specimen acquisition from 1950 to 2010, we discovered a significant inconsistency in specimen sampling effort for 13 common reptile species across time and space. A large proportion of past specimens lacked information including the place and time of collection. An increase in investment to museums and an increase in geographically and temporally systematic collecting is advocated to ensure that collections can answer questions about environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlin Li
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Anna J. M. Hopkins
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Robert A. Davis
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australia Museum, 49 Kew St, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia
- Correspondence:
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11
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Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030471. [PMID: 36986393 PMCID: PMC10051445 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Systematic wildlife surveillance is important to aid the prevention of zoonotic infections that jeopardize human health and undermine biodiversity. Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic zoonotic protozoan that can infect all endothermic vertebrates, causing severe disease in immunocompromised humans and cases of congenital transmission. Humans can be infected by ingestion of raw meat containing bradyzoites or water contaminated by oocysts. In our study, we assessed the potential circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in wild mammals by performing surveillance in the Campania region (southern Italy) and surveyed its presence from 2020 to 2022 within the framework of the Regional Plans for Wildlife Surveillance. In detail, 211 individuals belonging to five wild mammals (wolf, fox, wild boar, badger, and roe deer) underwent necropsy and the organs were analyzed by real-time PCR for the detection of the parasite. Toxoplasma gondii was found in 21.8% (46/211) of the subjects examined. No statistically significant differences were noticed between the prevalence and the host’s trophic level or age, rejecting the hypotheses that Toxoplasma gondii will have a higher prevalence in top predators and adult individuals, respectively. Our work emphasized the high circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife and remarked on the critical role of anthropized areas where domestic cats and wildlife may come into contact, urging a systematic surveillance.
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12
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Luo Y, Xu Q, Xue M, Wang Y, Yang X, Chan S, Tang Q, Wang F, Sun R, Chao Z, Fang M. Novel Haplotype in the HHEX Gene Promoter Associated with Body Length in Pigs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:511. [PMID: 36833438 PMCID: PMC9956144 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The screening of important candidate genes and the identification of genetic markers are important for molecular selection in the pig industry. The hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) gene plays an important role in embryonic development and organogenesis; however, the genetic variation and expression pattern of the porcine HHEX gene remains to be clarified. In this study, semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry results showed the specific expression of the HHEX gene in porcine cartilage tissues. A novel haplotype consisting of two SNPs rs80901185 (T > C) and rs80934526 (A > G) was detected in the promoter region of the HHEX gene. The expression of the HHEX gene was significantly higher in Yorkshire pigs (TA haplotype) than in Wuzhishan pigs (CG haplotype), and a population analysis showed that this haplotype was significantly associated with body length. An analysis subsequently revealed that the -586 to -1 bp region of the HHEX gene promoter showed the highest activity. Furthermore, we found that the activity of the TA haplotype was significantly higher than that of the CG haplotype by changing the potential binding of transcription factors YY1 and HDAC2. In summary, we conclude that the porcine HHEX gene may contribute to the breeding of pigs for body length traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabiao Luo
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qiao Xu
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Jiang Xi Province Key Lab of Genetic Improvement of Indigenous Chicken Breeds, Institution of Biological Technology, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang 330029, China
| | - Mingming Xue
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yubei Wang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoyang Yang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuheng Chan
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qiguo Tang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Ruiping Sun
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Zhe Chao
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Meiying Fang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
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13
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Arregui AG. Reversible pigs. AMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/amet.13114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aníbal G. Arregui
- Department of Social Anthropology University of Barcelona
- Institute of Ethnology Czech Academy of Sciences
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14
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SARS-CoV-2 and West Nile Virus Prevalence Studies in Raccoons and Raccoon Dogs from Germany. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112559. [PMID: 36423168 PMCID: PMC9698735 DOI: 10.3390/v14112559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike farm animals, wild animals are not subject to continuous health surveillance. Individual projects designed to screen wildlife populations for specific pathogens are, therefore, also of great importance for human health. In this context, the possible formation of a reservoir for highly pathogenic zoonotic pathogens is a focus of research. Two of these pathogens that have received particular attention during the last years are the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), due to its fast global spread and high impact to the human health, and, since its introduction into Germany, the flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV). Especially in combination with invasive vertebrate species (e.g., raccoons (Procyon lotor) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Germany), risk analysis must be done to enable health authorities to assess the potential for the establishment of new wild life reservoirs for pathogens. Therefore, samples were collected from raccoons and raccoon dogs and analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and WNV infections in these populations. Molecular biological and serological data obtained imply that no SARS-CoV-2 nor WNV reservoir has been established in these two wild life species yet. Future investigations need to keep an eye on these invasive carnivore populations, especially since the close contact of these animals to humans, mainly in urban areas, would make animal-human transmission a challenge for human health.
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15
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Evaluation of rural-urban patterns in dietary intake: A descriptive analytical study – Case series. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022; 84:104972. [DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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16
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Cabon V, Bùi M, Kühne H, Seitz B, Kowarik I, von der Lippe M, Buchholz S. Endangered animals and plants are positively or neutrally related to wild boar (Sus scrofa) soil disturbance in urban grasslands. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16649. [PMID: 36198897 PMCID: PMC9534874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20964-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild boar is increasingly establishing populations in the outskirts of European cities, with the largest German urban population occurring in Berlin. Related soil disturbance in grasslands is common and often considered as damage to biodiversity. However, it is unknown how animal and plant species in urban grasslands respond to wild boar activity - an important limitation for conservation management. We sampled plants, grasshoppers and sand lizards in 22 dry grasslands and measured wild boar activity. We show that plant diversity decreased with rooting intensity, but not species richness, endangered or specialist species. Relationships with animals were mostly positive. Grasshopper diversity, total richness and richness of endangered and specialist species were positively related to rooting, as was sand lizard abundance. These relationships contrast to mostly negative effects in the wild boar's non-native range. This first multi-taxa study in a large city suggests that soil disturbance by wild boars is not necessarily a threat to biodiversity. An implication for conservation is to consider the context-dependence of biodiversity responses to wild boar activity. For dry grasslands, disturbed patches should be accepted in management plans rather than re-vegetated by seeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Cabon
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany. .,Université de Rennes 1, CNRS-ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution) UMR 6553, 35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Miriam Bùi
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henning Kühne
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Seitz
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz von der Lippe
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149, Münster, Germany
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17
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Hagemann J, Conejero C, Stillfried M, Mentaberre G, Castillo-Contreras R, Fickel J, López-Olvera JR. Genetic population structure defines wild boar as an urban exploiter species in Barcelona, Spain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155126. [PMID: 35405223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urban wildlife ecology is gaining relevance as metropolitan areas grow throughout the world, reducing natural habitats and creating new ecological niches. However, knowledge is still scarce about the colonisation processes of such urban niches, the establishment of new communities, populations and/or species, and the related changes in behaviour and life histories of urban wildlife. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) has successfully colonised urban niches throughout Europe. The aim of this study is to unveil the processes driving the establishment and maintenance of an urban wild boar population by analysing its genetic structure. A set of 19 microsatellite loci was used to test whether urban wild boars in Barcelona, Spain, are an isolated population or if gene flow prevents genetic differentiation between rural and urban wild boars. This knowledge will contribute to the understanding of the effects of synurbisation and the associated management measures on the genetic change of large mammals in urban ecosystems. Despite the unidirectional gene flow from rural to urban areas, the urban wild boars in Barcelona form an island population genotypically differentiated from the surrounding rural ones. The comparison with previous genetic studies of urban wild boar populations suggests that forest patches act as suitable islands for wild boar genetic differentiation. Previous results and the genetic structure of the urban wild boar population in Barcelona classify wild boar as an urban exploiter species. These wild boar peri-urban island populations are responsible for conflict with humans and thus should be managed by reducing the attractiveness of urban areas. The management of peri-urban wild boar populations should aim at reducing migration into urban areas and preventing phenotypic changes (either genetic or plastic) causing habituation of wild boars to humans and urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Hagemann
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany; University of Potsdam, Evolutionary Adaptive Genomics, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Milena Stillfried
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), 25098 Lleida, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany; University of Potsdam, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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18
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Abstract
The recent and ever-growing problem of boar (Sus scrofa forms including wild boar, hybrid and feral pig) expansion is a very complex issue in wildlife management. The damages caused to biodiversity and the economies are addressed in different ways by the various countries, but research is needed to shed light on the causal factors of this emergency before defining a useful collaborative management policy. In this review, we screened more than 280 references published between 1975–2022, identifying and dealing with five hot factors (climate change, human induced habitat modifications, predator regulation on the prey, hybridization with domestic forms, and transfaunation) that could account for the boar expansion and its niche invasion. We also discuss some issues arising from this boar emergency, such as epizootic and zoonotic diseases or the depression of biodiversity. Finally, we provide new insights for the research and the development of management policies.
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19
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Castillo-Contreras R, Marín M, López-Olvera JR, Ayats T, Fernandez Aguilar X, Lavín S, Mentaberre G, Cerdà-Cuéllar M. Zoonotic Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. carried by wild boars in a metropolitan area: occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility and public health relevance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153444. [PMID: 35092769 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are the most reported zoonotic agents in Europe. They can be transmitted from wildlife to humans, and wild boars (Sus scrofa) can harbour them. In the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB, NE Spain) wild boars are found in urbanized areas. To assess the potential public health risk of this increasing wild boar population, we collected stool samples from 130 wild boars from the MAB (June 2015 - February 2016), to determine the Campylobacter and Salmonella occurrence and the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. We also investigated the genetic diversity and virulence potential of Campylobacter. Campylobacter prevalence in wild boars was 61%. Forty six percent of wild boars carried Campylobacter lanienae, 16% carried Campylobacter coli, and 1% carried Campylobacter hyointestinalis; 4% carried both C. lanienae and C. coli, and 1% carried both C. lanienae and C. hyointestinalis. This is the first report of C. hyointestinalis in wildlife in Spain. Using pulse-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing, we observed a high genetic diversity of Campylobacter and identified new sequence types. Thirty-three percent of C. coli and 14% of C. lanienae isolates showed a high virulence potential. All of the Campylobacter isolates analysed were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. Multidrug resistance was only detected in C. coli (67%). Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica was detected in four wild boars (3%) and included a S. Enteritidis serovar (1/4 wild boars) and a multidrug-resistant (ASSuT) monophasic S. Typhimurium serovar (1/4 wild boars) which is associated with human infections and pig meat in Europe. The characteristics of some of the Campylobacter and Salmonella isolates recovered suggest an anthropogenic origin. Wild boars are a reservoir of Campylobacter and have the potential to spread antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter and Salmonella in urbanized areas in the MAB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Marín
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Ayats
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernandez Aguilar
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology and Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Serra Húnter fellow; Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agrària (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Av. Rovira Roure 191, E-25098 Lleida, Spain
| | - Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; OIE Collaborating Centre for the Research and Control of Emerging and Re-Emerging Swine Diseases in Europe (IRTA-CReSA), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Brusgaard NØ, Dee MW, Dreshaj M, Erven J, van den Hurk Y, Raemaekers D, Çakırlar C. Hunting before herding: A zooarchaeological and stable isotopic study of suids (Sus sp.) at Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands (5450-4250 cal BC). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262557. [PMID: 35108285 PMCID: PMC8809594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Suids (Sus sp.) played a crucial role in the transition to farming in northern Europe and, like in many regions, in the Netherlands pig husbandry became an important subsistence activity at Neolithic sites. Yet little is known about wild boar palaeoecology and hunting in the Late Mesolithic Netherlands with which to contextualize this transition. This paper presents the first multi-proxy analysis of archaeological suid remains in the Netherlands. It explores human-suid interactions at the Swifterbant culture sites of Hardinxveld-Giessendam Polderweg and De Bruin (5450-4250 BC) through biometric analysis, estimation of age-at-death, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The results reveal targeted hunting of adult wild boar in the Late Mesolithic (5450-4850 BC), with a possible shift over time towards more juveniles. The wild boar in this period are demonstrated to be of comparably large size to contemporary northern European populations and exhibiting a wide range of dietary regimes. In the final occupational period (4450-4250 BC), small suids are present, possibly domestic pigs, but there is no evidence of pig management. This study demonstrates that the nature of human-suid interactions varied over time, which may have been connected to changing environmental conditions, human mobility, and wild boar behaviour. This study also contributes the first biometric and dietary baseline for mid-Holocene wild boar in the Netherlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Ø. Brusgaard
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael W. Dee
- Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Merita Dreshaj
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jolijn Erven
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Youri van den Hurk
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daan Raemaekers
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Canan Çakırlar
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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21
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Caballero-Gómez J, Rivero-Juarez A, Jurado-Tarifa E, Jiménez-Martín D, Jiménez-Ruiz E, Castro-Scholten S, Ulrich RG, López-López P, Rivero A, García-Bocanegra I. Serological and molecular survey of hepatitis E virus in cats and dogs in Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:240-248. [PMID: 34951935 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that is currently recognized as one of the major causes of acute human hepatitis worldwide. In Europe, the increasing number of hepatitis E cases is mainly associated with the consumption of animal food products or contact with infected animals. Dogs and cats have been suggested as a zoonotic source of HEV infection. The aim of this study was to assess Orthohepevirus circulation, including HEV-A, HEV-B and HEV-C species, in sympatric urban cats and dogs in southern Spain. Between 2017 and 2020, blood samples were collected from 144 stray cats and 152 dogs, both strays and pets. The presence of antibodies against HEV were tested using a double-antigen sandwich ELISA and seropositive samples were further analyzed by western blot. A RT-PCR was performed to detect RNA of Orthohepevirus species (HEV-A, HEV-B and HEV-C). A total of 19 (6.4%; 95%CI: 3.6-9.2) of the 296 animals tested showed anti-HEV antibodies by ELISA. Seropositivity was significantly higher in dogs (9.9%; 15/152; 95%CI: 5.1-14.6) than in cats (2.8%; 4/144; 95%CI: 0.1-5.5). Ten out of the 18 ELISA-positive animals that could be further analyzed by western blot, reacted against HEV-3 and/or HEV-C1 antigens, which suggest circulation of both genotypes in urban cats and dogs in the study area. However, HEV-A, HEV-B and HEV-C RNA was not detected in any of the tested sera. This is the first study to assess HEV circulation in both stray cats and dogs in Europe. Our results provide evidence of HEV exposure in sympatric urban cat and dog populations in southern Spain. Further studies are needed to determine the role of these species in the epidemiology of HEV. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Caballero-Gómez
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14014, España.,Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14004, España.,CIBERINFEC
| | - Antonio Rivero-Juarez
- Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14004, España.,CIBERINFEC
| | - Estefanía Jurado-Tarifa
- Centro de Sanidad y Bienestar Animal (SBA), Empresa Municipal de Saneamiento de Córdoba (SADECO), Córdoba, 14005, España
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14014, España
| | - Elena Jiménez-Ruiz
- Centro de Sanidad y Bienestar Animal (SBA), Empresa Municipal de Saneamiento de Córdoba (SADECO), Córdoba, 14005, España
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14014, España
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493, Germany
| | - Pedro López-López
- Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14004, España.,CIBERINFEC
| | - Antonio Rivero
- Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14004, España.,CIBERINFEC
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 14014, España.,CIBERINFEC
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22
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Żmijewski T, Modzelewska-Kapituła M. The influence of age and sex on carcass characteristics and chemical composition of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle in wild boars ( Sus scrofa). Arch Anim Breed 2021; 64:199-210. [PMID: 34109269 PMCID: PMC8182669 DOI: 10.5194/aab-64-199-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of
age and sex on carcass characteristics and the chemical composition of the
longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle in wild boars (Sus scrofa). Carcass quality parameters varied
significantly depending on age and sex, whereas the protein and
collagen contents in the muscle were affected by animal age. The carcasses
of male yearlings and adults were characterised by the highest processing
suitability, which can be attributed to the highest percentage of lean meat
in the carcass and a moderate fat and bone content. A higher fat content was found in carcasses of females from all age groups, and a lower
bone content was found in yearlings and adult females. The protein content was the
highest in the LTL muscle of adult boars, and the collagen content was the highest
in piglets; thus, the chemical composition of the muscle was most
desirable in adult wild boars and least desirable in piglets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Żmijewski
- Department of Meat Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Food Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Monika Modzelewska-Kapituła
- Department of Meat Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Food Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
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23
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Darwich L, Seminati C, López-Olvera JR, Vidal A, Aguirre L, Cerdá M, Garcias B, Valldeperes M, Castillo-Contreras R, Migura-Garcia L, Conejero C, Mentaberre G. Detection of Beta-Lactam-Resistant Escherichia coli and Toxigenic Clostridioides difficile Strains in Wild Boars Foraging in an Anthropization Gradient. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061585. [PMID: 34071332 PMCID: PMC8229602 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease transmission among wild boars, domestic animals and humans is a public health concern, especially in areas with high wild boar densities. In this study, fecal samples of wild boars (n = 200) from different locations of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona were analyzed by PCR to explore the frequency of β-lactamases and extended cephalosporin and carbapenem resistance genes (ESBLs) in Escherichia coli strains and the presence of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile. The prevalence of genes conferring resistance to β-lactam antimicrobials was 8.0% (16/200): blaCMY-2 (3.0%), blaTEM-1b (2.5%), blaCTX-M-14 (1.0%), blaSHV-28 (1.0%), blaCTX-M-15 (0.5%) and blaCMY-1 (0.5%). Clostridioides difficile TcdA+ was detected in two wild boars (1.0%), which is the first report of this pathogen in wild boars in Spain. Moreover, the wild boars foraging in urban and peri-urban locations were more exposed to AMRB sources than the wild boars dwelling in natural environments. In conclusion, the detection of E. coli carrying ESBL/AmpC genes and toxigenic C. difficile in wild boars foraging in urban areas reinforces the value of this game species as a sentinel of environmental AMRB sources. In addition, these wild boars can be a public and environmental health concern by disseminating AMRB and other zoonotic agents. Although this study provides the first hints of the potential anthropogenic sources of AMR, further efforts should be conducted to identify and control them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Darwich
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- OIE Collaborating Centre for the Research and Control of Emerging and Re-emerging Swine Diseases in Eu-rope (IRTA-CReSA), Bellaterra, CP-08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (C.S.); Tel.: +34-935811046 (L.D. & C.S.)
| | - Chiara Seminati
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (C.S.); Tel.: +34-935811046 (L.D. & C.S.)
| | - Jorge R. López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.R.L.-O.); (M.V.); (R.C.-C.); (C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Anna Vidal
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Laia Aguirre
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Marina Cerdá
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Biel Garcias
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (A.V.); (L.A.); (M.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Marta Valldeperes
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.R.L.-O.); (M.V.); (R.C.-C.); (C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.R.L.-O.); (M.V.); (R.C.-C.); (C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Lourdes Migura-Garcia
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- OIE Collaborating Centre for the Research and Control of Emerging and Re-emerging Swine Diseases in Eu-rope (IRTA-CReSA), Bellaterra, CP-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.R.L.-O.); (M.V.); (R.C.-C.); (C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CP-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.R.L.-O.); (M.V.); (R.C.-C.); (C.C.); (G.M.)
- Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), CP-25098 Lleida, Spain
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