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Kanthaswamy S. Review: Wildlife forensic genetics-Biological evidence, DNA markers, analytical approaches, and challenges. Anim Genet 2024; 55:177-192. [PMID: 38123142 DOI: 10.1111/age.13390] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife-related crimes are the second most prevalent lawbreaking offense globally. This illicit trade encompasses hunting, breeding and trafficking. Besides diminishing many species and their habitats and ecosystems, hindering the economic development of local communities that depend on them, undermining the rule of law and financing terrorism, various cross-species transmissions (zoonoses) of pathogens, including COVID-19, can be attributed to wildlife crimes. Wildlife forensics applies interdisciplinary scientific analyses to support law enforcement in investigating wildlife crimes. Its main objectives are to identify the taxonomic species in question, determine if a crime has been committed, link a suspect to the crime and support the conviction and prosecution of the perpetrator. This article reviews wildlife crime and its implications, wildlife forensic science investigation, common forms of wildlife biological evidence, including DNA, wildlife DNA techniques and challenges in wildlife forensic genetics. The article also reviews the contributions of genetic markers such as short tandem repeat (STR) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers, which provide the probative genetic data representing the bulk of DNA evidence for solving wildlife crime. This review provides an overview of wildlife DNA databases, which are critical for searching and matching forensic DNA profiles and sequences and establishing how frequent forensic DNA profiles and sequences are in a particular population or geographic region. As such, this review will contain an in-depth analysis of the current status of wildlife forensic genetics, and it will be of general interest to wildlife and conservation biologists, law enforcement officers, and academics interested in combating crimes against wildlife using animal forensic DNA methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sree Kanthaswamy
- School of Interdisciplinary Forensics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Schmidt LK, Keller KA, Tonozzi C, Brandão J, Christman J, W Stern A, Allen-Durrance AE, Alexander AB. Intralipid Emulsion Therapy for the Treatment of Suspected Toxicity in 2 Avian Species. J Avian Med Surg 2023; 36:394-399. [PMID: 36935211 DOI: 10.1647/21-00057] [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] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy has shown promise as a treatment option for a variety of lipophilic toxins. Two birds presented for suspected ingestion of a toxic substance. A blue-and-gold macaw (Ara ararauna) presented after chewing a block of bromethalin rodenticide without overt clinical signs at the time of presentation. Additionally, a free-ranging bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was found weak and depressed near a municipal landfill after presumptive ingestion of pentobarbital. Both birds were treated with ILE therapy for potential intoxication without any adverse events. The macaw was clinically normal after 3 days of hospitalization and at a 1-week reevaluation. The eagle was transferred to a rehabilitation center after markedly improved mentation and strength and was released 7 days later. Clinicians should consider ILE therapy for the treatment of lipophilic toxicities; however, monitoring is recommended for persistent lipemia and other adverse effects that have been reported in the veterinary literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K Schmidt
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Krista A Keller
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61821, USA,
| | - Caroline Tonozzi
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61821, USA
| | - João Brandão
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Jane Christman
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Adam W Stern
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Ashley E Allen-Durrance
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Amy B Alexander
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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USHINE N, MICHISHITA M, MACHIDA Y, ENOMOTO T, SAKAI T, KATO T, HAYAMA SI. Clinical examination and necropsy findings of a mountain hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) that died during rehabilitation. J Vet Med Sci 2023; 85:88-91. [PMID: 36436844 PMCID: PMC9887209 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.22-0333] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the clinical signs and necropsy findings of a mountain hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) that died during rehabilitation. The bird was rescued and treated for open fracture of the right forearm. During rehabilitation, the bird could not stand up or fly. Part of the right secondary and left and right primary feathers were removed during rehabilitation; additional fracture was found in the right tibiotarsus and treated. However, the bird died 92 days after rescue and necropsy was performed. Severe hepatic lipidosis and capture myopathy were confirmed by histopathological examinations. These lesions may be associated with the cause of death of this animal. Accumulation of information is expected to contribute to the improvement of effective rehabilitation techniques for raptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana USHINE
- Department of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan,Department of Animal Health Technology, Yamazaki University of Animal Health Technology, Tokyo, Japan,Correspondence to: Ushine N: , Department of Animal Health Technology, Yamazaki
University of Animal Health Technology, 4-7-2 Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0364, Japan
| | - Masaki MICHISHITA
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukino MACHIDA
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya ENOMOTO
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Takuya KATO
- Department of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-ichi HAYAMA
- Department of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
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Gonzalez‐Jassi HA, Jakobek B, Ebbott A, Bie F, Cusack L. Successful medical management of an acute case of pentobarbital toxicosis in a wild bald eagle (
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
). VETERINARY RECORD CASE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/vrc2.381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A. Gonzalez‐Jassi
- Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada
- Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - Benjamin Jakobek
- Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada
- Faculté de medicine vétérinaire Université de Montréal Hyacinthe Quebec Canada
| | - Austin Ebbott
- Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada
| | - Fiep Bie
- Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada
| | - Lara Cusack
- Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada
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Herrero-Villar M, Sánchez-Barbudo IS, Camarero PR, Taggart MA, Mateo R. Increasing incidence of barbiturate intoxication in avian scavengers and mammals in Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 284:117452. [PMID: 34077898 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are considered emerging contaminants in terms of impacts on wildlife. One chemical group of concern is euthanasia agents used in veterinary medicine. Here we present data on the occurrence of barbiturate intoxication using samples collected from 2004 to 2020 of suspected wildlife and domestic animal poisoning cases in Spain (n = 3210). Barbiturate intoxication was seen in 3.4% (45/1334) of the total number of confirmed intoxicated animals. Barbiturates were detected in 0.2% (1/448) of baits containing detectable poisons. The most frequently detected barbiturate was pentobarbital (42/45, 93.3%), but we also detected phenobarbital, barbital, and thiopental (2.2% prevalence for each). Avian scavengers were most frequently affected by barbiturate intoxication (n = 36), especially Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) (n = 28). Median pentobarbital concentrations detected in intoxicated griffon vultures was 27.3 mg kg-1 in gastric content and 38.1 mg kg-1 in liver, which highlights the acute effect of the chemical soon after ingestion. At least two large intoxication events affecting griffon vultures were related to the consumption of carcasses from euthanized livestock. We also found phenobarbital in a prepared bait linked to the intoxication of one Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo). This study highlights the need for stronger regulation of barbiturates to avoid secondary intoxications due to improper disposal of euthanized livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Herrero-Villar
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), CSIC-UCLM, JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Inés S Sánchez-Barbudo
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), CSIC-UCLM, JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), CSIC-UCLM, JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Mark A Taggart
- Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Castle St, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 7JD, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), CSIC-UCLM, JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
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Parry NMA, Stoll A. The rise of veterinary forensics. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 306:110069. [PMID: 31830618 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Veterinary forensics is rapidly emerging as a distinct branch of veterinary medicine, especially because of increasing mindfulness about animal cruelty, and of the link between acts of cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. Nevertheless, the application of forensic sciences in veterinary cases lags behind its application in medical cases. Although gaps persist in veterinarians' knowledge of forensics and in how to apply this field to medicolegal cases involving animals, continued research and publication in veterinary forensics are rapidly developing the evidence base in this area. Additionally, educational opportunities in veterinary forensics are also increasing at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Together, these changes will continue to improve veterinarians' abilities to investigate cases involving animals. To further strengthen these investigations, veterinarians should also collaborate with the appropriate experts in different disciplines of forensic science.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Stoll
- Veterinary Pathology Centre, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Francis Crick Road, GU2 7YW, United Kingdom
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