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Helman SK, Tokuyama AFN, Mummah RO, Stone NE, Gamble MW, Snedden CE, Borremans B, Gomez ACR, Cox C, Nussbaum J, Tweedt I, Haake DA, Galloway RL, Monzón J, Riley SPD, Sikich JA, Brown J, Friscia A, Sahl JW, Wagner DM, Lynch JW, Prager KC, Lloyd-Smith JO. Pathogenic Leptospira are widespread in the urban wildlife of southern California. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14368. [PMID: 37658075 PMCID: PMC10474285 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40322-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world, is broadly understudied in multi-host wildlife systems. Knowledge gaps regarding Leptospira circulation in wildlife, particularly in densely populated areas, contribute to frequent misdiagnoses in humans and domestic animals. We assessed Leptospira prevalence levels and risk factors in five target wildlife species across the greater Los Angeles region: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). We sampled more than 960 individual animals, including over 700 from target species in the greater Los Angeles region, and an additional 266 sampled opportunistically from other California regions and species. In the five target species seroprevalences ranged from 5 to 60%, and infection prevalences ranged from 0.8 to 15.2% in all except fox squirrels (0%). Leptospira phylogenomics and patterns of serologic reactivity suggest that mainland terrestrial wildlife, particularly mesocarnivores, could be the source of repeated observed introductions of Leptospira into local marine and island ecosystems. Overall, we found evidence of widespread Leptospira exposure in wildlife across Los Angeles and surrounding regions. This indicates exposure risk for humans and domestic animals and highlights that this pathogen can circulate endemically in many wildlife species even in densely populated urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Helman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Amanda F N Tokuyama
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Riley O Mummah
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nathan E Stone
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Mason W Gamble
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Celine E Snedden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benny Borremans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Wildlife Health Ecology Research Organization, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ana C R Gomez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Caitlin Cox
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julianne Nussbaum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Isobel Tweedt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David A Haake
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Javier Monzón
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, USA
| | - Seth P D Riley
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, National Park Service, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Jeff A Sikich
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, National Park Service, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Justin Brown
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, National Park Service, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Friscia
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason W Sahl
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - David M Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jessica W Lynch
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine C Prager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James O Lloyd-Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Weather may marginally affect COVID-19 dynamics, but misconceptions about the way that climate and weather drive exposure and transmission have adversely shaped risk perceptions for both policymakers and citizens. Future scientific work on this politically-fraught topic needs a more careful approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.
| | - Ana C R Gomez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20007, USA
| | - Sadie J Ryan
- Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) Lab, Department of Geography and the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
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Gostic KM, Gomez ACR, Mummah RO, Kucharski AJ, Lloyd-Smith JO. Estimated effectiveness of traveller screening to prevent international spread of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). medRxiv 2020:2020.01.28.20019224. [PMID: 32511422 PMCID: PMC7216848 DOI: 10.1101/2020.01.28.20019224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Traveller screening is being used to limit further global spread of 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) following its recent emergence. Here, we project the impact of different travel screening programs given remaining uncertainty around the values of key nCoV life history and epidemiological parameters. Even under best-case assumptions, we estimate that screening will miss more than half of infected travellers. Breaking down the factors leading to screening successes and failures, we find that most cases missed by screening are fundamentally undetectable, because they have not yet developed symptoms and are unaware they were exposed. These findings emphasize the need for measures to track travellers who become ill after being missed by a travel screening program. We make our model available for interactive use so stakeholders can explore scenarios of interest using the most up-to-date information. We hope these findings contribute to evidence-based policy to combat the spread of nCoV, and to prospective planning to mitigate future emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - James O Lloyd-Smith
- University of California Los Angeles, United States
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, United States
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