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Talbot B, Alanazi TJ, Albert V, Bordeleau É, Bouchard É, Leighton PA, Marshall HD, Rondeau-Geoffrion D, Simon A, Massé A. Low levels of genetic differentiation and structure in red fox populations in Eastern Canada and implications for Arctic fox rabies propagation potential. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286784. [PMID: 37279210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies is a lethal zoonosis present in most parts of the world which can be transmitted to humans through the bite from an infected mammalian reservoir host. The Arctic rabies virus variant (ARVV) persists mainly in populations of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), and to a lesser extent in red fox populations (Vulpes vulpes). Red foxes are thought to be responsible for sporadic southward movement waves of the ARVV outside the enzootic area of northern Canada. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether red foxes displayed notable levels of genetic structure across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, which includes portions of the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland-Labrador in Canada, and is a region with a history of southward ARVV movement waves. We combined two datasets that were collected and genotyped using different protocols, totalling 675 red fox individuals across the whole region and genotyped across 13 microsatellite markers. We found two genetic clusters across the region, reflecting a latitudinal gradient, and characterized by low genetic differentiation. We also observed weak but significant isolation by distance, which seems to be marginally more important for females than for males. These findings suggest a general lack of resistance to movement in red fox populations across the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, regardless of sex. Implications of these findings include additional support for the hypothesis of long-distance southward ARVV propagation through its red fox reservoir host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Thaneah J Alanazi
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Vicky Albert
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Émilie Bordeleau
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Émilie Bouchard
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - H Dawn Marshall
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | | | - Audrey Simon
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Ariane Massé
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, QC, Canada
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