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Zalewski A, Virtanen JME, Zalewska H, Sironen T, Kołodziej-Sobocińska M. Asymptomatic viral infection is associated with lower host reproductive output in wild mink populations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9390. [PMID: 37296209 PMCID: PMC10251326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36581-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Many endemic viruses circulate in populations without hosts showing visible signs of disease, while still having the potential to alter host survival or reproduction. Aleutian Mink Disease Virus (AMDV) circulates in many American mink (Neogale vison) populations in its native and introduced ranges. In this study, we analysed how AMDV infection in female American mink affects the reproduction of a feral population. Females infected with AMDV delivered significantly smaller litters (5.8 pups) than uninfected females (6.3 pups), meaning their litter size was reduced by 8%. Larger females and yearling females had larger litters than smaller and older females. There were no significant differences in whole litter survival between infected and uninfected females; however, offspring survival until September or October within litters of infected females was 14% lower than that within those of uninfected females. This negative link between infection and reproductive output means that Aleutian disease could seriously affect the wild mink population. This study increases our understanding of the threats posed by the spread of viruses to wildlife from farm animals or humans, highlighting that viruses circulating in wildlife, even in the absence of clinical manifestation, can be important drivers of population dynamics in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland.
| | - Jenni M E Virtanen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöbergin Katu 2, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Zalewska
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöbergin Katu 2, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
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Baier-Stegmaier S, Gundlach C, Chriél M, Hansen MS, Vedel-Smith C, Hansen CV, Johansson DK, Henriksen LB, Wahlberg M, Thøstesen CB, Alstrup AKO, Gregersen KM, Pertoldi C, Pagh S. Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1783. [PMID: 37889740 PMCID: PMC10251996 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti. Teeth from 13 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 2 American mink (Neogale vison), and 2 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) of known age were studied using µ-CT. The number of visible dental growth layers in the µ-CT were highly correlated with true age for all three species (R2 = 96%, p < 0.001). In addition, the Bland-Altman plot showed high agreement between the age of individuals and visible dental layers represented in 2D slices of the 3D µ-CT images. The true age of individuals was on average 0.3 (±0.6 SD) years higher than the age interpreted by the µ-CT image, and there was a 95% agreement between the true age and the age interpreted from visible dental layers in the µ-CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Baier-Stegmaier
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.B.-S.)
| | - Carsten Gundlach
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.B.-S.)
| | - Mariann Chriél
- Department of Health Technology Center for Diagnostics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mette Sif Hansen
- Department of Health Technology Center for Diagnostics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Christina Vedel-Smith
- Department of Research and Collections, Natural History Museum Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (C.V.-S.)
| | - Charlotte Vikkelsø Hansen
- Department of Research and Collections, Natural History Museum Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; (C.V.-S.)
| | | | | | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark
| | | | - Aage Kristian Olsen Alstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department for Nuclear Medicine & PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Cino Pertoldi
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience—Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Sussie Pagh
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience—Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
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Diet of Free Ranging American Mink ( Neovison vison) in Denmark. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030461. [PMID: 36766350 PMCID: PMC9913261 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-native American mink (Neovison vison) is a widely spread predator in Denmark. The feral population in mainland Denmark consists of captive-born mink that escaped from fur farms and wild mink born in nature, whereas the population on Bornholm is almost all wild-born mink. In this study, the diets of feral mink in mainland Denmark and on the island of Bornholm are analyzed. The aim of this study was to examine (1) whether the diet of the larger captive-born mink differs from that of the smaller wild-born mink, (2) assess the regional variations between the diets of mink in mainland Denmark and on Bornholm, and (3) investigate the seasonal variation in the diet composition of mink. The stomach contents of 364 mink (243 wild-born and 114 captive-born) culled in the years 2019-2022 were analyzed. Of these, 203 mink were from mainland Denmark, and 154 were from Bornholm. No significant differences were found between the diets of captive-born mink and wild-born mink or the mink found in mainland Denmark and on the island of Bornholm. Significantly more empty stomachs were found during spring than during the summer and autumn, suggesting a bottleneck in the diet during spring.
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Aguiló-Gisbert J, Padilla-Blanco M, Lizana V, Maiques E, Muñoz-Baquero M, Chillida-Martínez E, Cardells J, Rubio-Guerri C. First Description of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Two Feral American Mink ( Neovison vison) Caught in the Wild. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1422. [PMID: 34065657 PMCID: PMC8156136 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of COVID-19, is considered a pathogen of animal origin that is mainly transmitted from human to human. Several animal species can be naturally or experimentally infected by SARS-CoV-2, with compelling evidence that mink is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Human-to-mink infection cases have been reported and there are also suggestions that mink-to-human infection occurs. Mink infections have been reported to date only on fur farms, except for one infected free- ranging wild mink near a Utah (USA) fur farm, which suggests a transmission pathway from farms to wild mink. We now report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 2 of 13 feral dark brown American mink (Neovison vison) trapped in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain), during an invasive species trapping campaign. They were trapped in riverbeds in sparsely inhabited rural areas known to harbor self-sustained feral mink populations. The closest fur farm is about 20 km away. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by two-step RT-PCR in these animals' mesenteric lymph nodes and was confirmed by sequencing a 397-nucleotide amplified region of the S gene, yielding identical sequences in both animals. A molecular phylogenetic analysis was run on this sequence, which was found to correspond to the consensus SARS-CoV-2 sequence from Wuhan. Our findings appear to represent the first example of SARS-CoV-2 acquired in the wild by feral mink in self-sustained populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Aguiló-Gisbert
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (V.L.); (M.M.-B.); (E.C.-M.)
| | - Miguel Padilla-Blanco
- Department of Pharmacy, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Victor Lizana
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (V.L.); (M.M.-B.); (E.C.-M.)
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Maiques
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Marta Muñoz-Baquero
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (V.L.); (M.M.-B.); (E.C.-M.)
| | - Eva Chillida-Martínez
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (V.L.); (M.M.-B.); (E.C.-M.)
| | - Jesús Cardells
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (V.L.); (M.M.-B.); (E.C.-M.)
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Consuelo Rubio-Guerri
- Department of Pharmacy, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain;
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Aguiló-Gisbert J, Padilla-Blanco M, Lizana V, Maiques E, Muñoz-Baquero M, Chillida-Martínez E, Cardells J, Rubio-Guerri C. First Description of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Two Feral American Mink ( Neovison vison) Caught in the Wild. Animals (Basel) 2021. [PMID: 34065657 DOI: 10.20944/preprints202103.0647.v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of COVID-19, is considered a pathogen of animal origin that is mainly transmitted from human to human. Several animal species can be naturally or experimentally infected by SARS-CoV-2, with compelling evidence that mink is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Human-to-mink infection cases have been reported and there are also suggestions that mink-to-human infection occurs. Mink infections have been reported to date only on fur farms, except for one infected free- ranging wild mink near a Utah (USA) fur farm, which suggests a transmission pathway from farms to wild mink. We now report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 2 of 13 feral dark brown American mink (Neovison vison) trapped in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain), during an invasive species trapping campaign. They were trapped in riverbeds in sparsely inhabited rural areas known to harbor self-sustained feral mink populations. The closest fur farm is about 20 km away. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by two-step RT-PCR in these animals' mesenteric lymph nodes and was confirmed by sequencing a 397-nucleotide amplified region of the S gene, yielding identical sequences in both animals. A molecular phylogenetic analysis was run on this sequence, which was found to correspond to the consensus SARS-CoV-2 sequence from Wuhan. Our findings appear to represent the first example of SARS-CoV-2 acquired in the wild by feral mink in self-sustained populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Aguiló-Gisbert
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Padilla-Blanco
- Department of Pharmacy, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Victor Lizana
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Maiques
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Muñoz-Baquero
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Eva Chillida-Martínez
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Jesús Cardells
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Consuelo Rubio-Guerri
- Department of Pharmacy, Facultad de CC de la Salud, UCH-CEU University, C/Ramon y Cajal s/n, 46113 Valencia, Spain
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