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Mo Q, Yao H, Wu H, Zhao D. Impact of Environmental Food Intake on the Gut Microbiota of Endangered Père David's Deer: Primary Evidence for Population Reintroduction. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:728. [PMID: 38473113 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050728] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reintroduction has been successful in re-establishing several endangered wild animals in their historical habitats, including Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Continuous monitoring of reintroduced individuals is essential for improving the sustainability of ex situ conservation efforts. Despite an increased recognition of the significance of the gut microbiome for animal health, the correlation between diet and the gut microbiome in E. davidianus is unclear. In this study, 15 fresh fecal samples of E. davidianus were collected from Tianjin Qilihai Wetland and the association between dietary and gut microbiota composition was evaluated. Microscopic observations showed that Nymphoides peltata [relative density (RD = 0.3514), Phragmites australis (RD = 0.2662), Setaria viridis (RD = 0.1211), and Typha orientalis (RD = 0.1085) were the main dietary plants in the fecal samples. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing showed a predominance of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and the genus Psychrobacillus (26.53%) in the gut microbiota. The RD of N. peltata was significantly positively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes (p = 0.005) and the genus UCG-005 (p = 0.024). This study indicates a close association between food digestion and nutrient intake, providing basic monitoring data for the full reintroduction and recovery of wild E. davidianus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiying Mo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hongyu Yao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Hong Wu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Dapeng Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
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Wang H, Zhao Y, Wang F, Sun X, Zhu J, Zhang Y, Wei S, Chen H. Diet composition and selection of Père David's deer in Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve, China. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9702. [PMID: 36620412 PMCID: PMC9817203 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9702] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve is an ideal place to restore the wild population of Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Understanding foraging ecology and diet composition is essential for assessing population development or establishing long-term effective conservation measures for endangered species. However, little is known about the diet composition of Père David's deer and its diet selection mechanism. In this study, we used stable isotope technology to investigate the diet composition of Père David's deer according to various tissues (i.e., fur, muscle, liver, heart, and feces) and seasons, and evaluated the correlation between the nutrient composition of plants and diet composition. Bayesian isotope analysis showed that the autumn and winter diet estimated by fur and fecal samples indicated a diet dominated by C3 grasses (42.7%-57.2%, mean), while the summer diet estimated by muscle and liver samples was dominated by C3 forbs (30.9%-41.6%, mean). The Pearson correlation test indicated that the contribution of winter diet composition reflected by fur and fecal samples was associated with correlations with crude protein (r = .666, p < .01) and soluble sugars (r = .695, p < .01). The results indicated that crude protein and soluble sugars were important factors influencing the winter diet selection of Père David's deer. In the context of the current reintroduction facing many challenges, such as habitat fragmentation, wetland degradation, and human disturbance, comprehensively evaluating the diet selection mechanism of Père David's deer under different resource specificities and temporal changes should be considered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao‐Lin Wang
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Yue Zhao
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Fei‐Jie Wang
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Xin‐Jia Sun
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Jian‐Qiang Zhu
- Research Center of Milu Health and HabitatYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Yu‐Ming Zhang
- Administrative Office of Shishou Milu National Nature ReserveJingzhouChina
| | - Shu‐Dong Wei
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
- Henan Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Rehabilitation TechnologyHenan University of Urban ConstructionPingdingshanChina
| | - Hui Chen
- College of Life Science and Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of WetlandMinistry of Education, Yangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
- Research Center of Milu Health and HabitatYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
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Huang SY, Gong JZ, Ren YJ, Pan M, Cai WM, Fan YM, Yao N. First report on the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in the endangered Père David's deer ( Elaphurus davidianus) in China. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:473. [PMID: 33272251 PMCID: PMC7713344 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02694-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fasciola hepatica is an important zoonotic parasite that causes fasciolosis in a broad range of animals. No information is available about the prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), an endangered species in the world. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of fasciolosis in Père David's deer in the Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, Jiangsu province, China. RESULTS In this study, 142 fecal samples from Père David's deer were analyzed for F. hepatica by microscopy and nest-PCR. Only one sample was positive for F. hepatica according to microscopy examination, while 18 of 142 (12.68, 95%CI: 2.841-22.45%) samples were positive for F. hepatica according to nest-PCR results. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer. The prevalence data indicated that F. hepatica was also present in this endangered animal, which may cause a potential threat to this precious species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Yang Huang
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China. .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China , Yangzhou UniversityYangzhou University, Jiangsu Province, Yancheng, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jing-Zhi Gong
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Jun Ren
- Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Pan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Min Cai
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Min Fan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Yao
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, People's Republic of China
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Lü SB, Liu YW, Liu YM, Xu SG, Li YF, Yuan M, He TT, Lin DD. [Impact of " Elaphurus davidianus return home project" on the transmission of schistosomiasis in Poyang Lake areas]. Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za Zhi 2020; 32:498-501. [PMID: 33185061 DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2020039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in Elaphurus davidianus released to Poyang Lake areas and evaluate the impact of the project of "E. davidianus released to wild environments for natural reproduction and growth" "(E. davidianus return home project") on the transmission of schistosomiasis in Poyang Lake areas. METHODS During the period from April 2018 to December 2019, the population distribution, inhabiting activity and natural reproduction of E. davidianus released to Poyang Lake areas were investigated by means of GPS and artificial observations. The S. japonicum infection was identified in animal feces in E. davidianus inhabitats using a hatching test, and snail distribution was surveyed in E. davidianus inhabiting grass islands using a systematic sampling method. RESULTS A total of 51 E. davidianus were released to the Poyang Lake areas in 2018, which subsequently produced 5 E. davidianus habitats in Yinlong Lake, Longkou, Nanchi Lake, Lianzi Lake and Zhu Lake. E. davidianus was found to predominantly inhibit in grass islands, farmlands and forest lands in hilly regions around the Poyang Lake areas. The natural reproduction rate of E. davidianus was 25% in the habitats in 2019, and the mean density of snails was 0.009 to 0.039 snails/0.1 m2 in E. davidianus inhabitats; however, no S. japonicum infection was identified in snails. In addition, the mean densities of wild E. davidianus and bovine feces were 4.6 samples/hm2 and 2.1 samples/hm2, Conclusions The E. davidianus released to Poyang Lake areas may get infections with S. japonicum, and cause schistosomiasis transmission through fecal contamination in grass islands. The impact on and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection was 4.35% and 13.16% (P = 0.236), respectively; however, the intensities of S. japonicum infections were "+++" and "+", respectively. CONCLUSIONS The E. davidianus released to Poyang Lake areas may get infections with S. japonicum, and cause schistosomiasis transmission through fecal contamination in grass islands. The impact on local schistosomiasis transmission and the response strategy requires to be investigated following the release of E. davidianus to lake regions, to ensure the achievement of the goal of schistosomiasis elimination and the successful implementation of the "E. davidianus return home project" in Poyang Lake areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Lü
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - Y W Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - Y M Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - S G Xu
- Poyang County Station of Schistosomiasis Control, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Y F Li
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - M Yuan
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - T T He
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
| | - D D Lin
- Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang 330046, China
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Guo R, Tian Y, Zhang H, Guo D, Pei X, Wen H, Li P, Mehmood K, Yang K, Chang YF, Liu Z, Duan Z, Yuan F, Liu W, Fazlani SA. Biological characteristics and genetic evolutionary analysis of emerging pathogenic Bacillus cereus isolated from Père David's deer ( Elaphurus davidianus). Microb Pathog 2020; 143:104133. [PMID: 32169486 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is widely distributed in the environment. It is one of the most common opportunistic food-borne pathogens associated with food poisoning, not only being majorly reported to cause fatal infections of the gastrointestinal tract, but also responsible for abdominal distress and vomiting. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the biological characteristics and the genetic evolution of B. cereus isolated from infected organs of dead Elaphurus davidianus (E. davidianus). B. cereus was characterized through antibiotic sensitivity tests, mouse lethality assay, whole genome sequencing analysis, and genome annotation. The results revealed that the isolated B. cereus strain was highly resistant to rifampicin, lincomycin, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and ampicillin, with a high pathogenicity phenotype. KEGG annotation revealed that "metabolic pathways" had the largest number of unigenes, followed by "biosynthesis of secondary metabolites" and "biosynthesis of antibiotics". GO analysis resulted in 8039 unigenes categorized. Meanwhile, 54,779 unigenes were annotated and grouped into 23 categories based on COG functional classifications. Moreover, one gene (codY) was found to be related to the host in conformity with the analysis done on PHI-base. Other tests led to the identification of 16 B. cereus virulence factor genes and five resistance types, with potential resistance against bacitracin, penicillin, and fosfomycin. We isolated a highly drug-resistant and pathogenic B. cereus strain from E. davidianus, showing that a variety of antimicrobial drugs should be avoided in clinical treatments. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report whole genome sequencing of a emergence of food-borne B. cereus strain isolated from E. davidianus deer; it will be helpful to extensively investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms of drug resistance and pathogenesis about B. cereus in both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yongxiang Tian
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Hui Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Dingzong Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaoying Pei
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Huajun Wen
- Management Office of Shishou Elk National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, Shishou, 434400, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Management Office of Shishou Elk National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, Shishou, 434400, China
| | - Khalid Mehmood
- University College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Keli Yang
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Zewen Liu
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhengying Duan
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Fangyan Yuan
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, 430064, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Sarfaraz Ali Fazlani
- Lasbela University of Agriculture Water & Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan, Pakistan
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Yang Y, Yang Z, Kelly P, Li J, Ren Y, Wang C. Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the highly endangered Père David's deer Elaphurus davidianus. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:25. [PMID: 29310694 PMCID: PMC5759283 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2599-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Eighteen of 43 (41.8%) Père David's deer from Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, China, were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum based on real-time FRET-PCR and species-specific PCRs targeting the 16S rRNA or msp4. To our knowledge this is the first report of A. phagocytophilum in this endangered animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhangping Yang
- Yangzhou University College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China. .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Patrick Kelly
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Jing Li
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yijun Ren
- Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengming Wang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China. .,Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
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Turvey ST, Barnes I, Marr M, Brace S. Imperial trophy or island relict? A new extinction paradigm for Père David's deer: a Chinese conservation icon. R Soc Open Sci 2017; 4:171096. [PMID: 29134102 PMCID: PMC5666285 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Determining the 'dynamic biogeography' of range collapse in threatened species is essential for effective conservation, but reconstruction of spatio-temporal patterns of population vulnerability and resilience can require use of non-standard ecological data such as historical archives. Père David's deer or milu, one of the few living mammal species that has become extinct in the wild, is historically known only from a small captive herd of unknown provenance that survived until 1900 in the Imperial Hunting Park near Beijing, from which all living individuals are descended. Using ancient DNA analysis, we demonstrate that two fawns collected in 1868 from Hainan Island, off the southern Chinese mainland, represent the only known wild milu specimens and were sampled from probably the last wild population. The Hainan milu population shows extremely low genetic differentiation from descendants of the Beijing herd, suggesting that this now-extinct population may have been the source of the captive herd. This revised extinction model refutes the supposed long-term survival of a captive milu herd for centuries or millennia after final extinction of wild populations, highlighting the vulnerability of remnant mammal populations in the absence of proactive management and the importance of historical museum collections for providing unique new insights on evolution, biogeography and conservation. Milu experienced a pattern of final population persistence on an island at the periphery of their former range, consistent with the 'range eclipse' or 'contagion' model of range collapse, and matching the spatial extinction dynamics of other extinct mammals such as the thylacine and woolly mammoth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T. Turvey
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Ian Barnes
- Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Melissa Marr
- Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- School of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Selina Brace
- Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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Bapodra P, Wolfe BA. Investigation of Neospora caninum seroprevalence and potential impact on reproductive success in semi-free-ranging Père David's deer ( Elaphurus davidianus). Vet Rec Open 2015; 2:e000123. [PMID: 26392906 PMCID: PMC4567163 DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2015-000123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the prevalence and reproductive impact of Neospora caninum in a herd of semi-free-ranging Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) at a conservation facility, following a suspected abortion storm in 2008. Serum samples (n=103) collected from 60 individuals between 2002 and 2011 were evaluated using competitive ELISA for the detection of N. caninum-specific antibodies. Of the 103 samples, 73 (70.9 per cent) were positive for N. caninum antibodies, with a mean±sd competitive inhibition (CI) of 77.6±19.8 per cent. Thirty (29.1 per cent) samples were seronegative, with mean CI of 15.2±9.70 per cent. A significant negative linear relationship was noted between the proportion of seropositive animals and age (R(2)=0.228, P<0.001). Calving rates of adult females from 2005 to 2011 ranged from 15.4 per cent to 52 per cent (mean 35.5±11.3 per cent), and did not correlate with mean CI values (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient=0.072, P=0.878). While both horizontal and transplacental transmission are likely contributing to persistent herd seropositivity, the role of N. caninum in reproductive success in this and other populations of endangered ungulates remains to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Bapodra
- Department of Conservation Medicine, The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio , USA
| | - Barbara A Wolfe
- Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio , USA
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