{"title":"Functional Affinity of Eleven Commercial Conjugates for Use in Serological Assays for Wild Rodents and Shrews.","authors":"Miriam Maas, Ankje de Vries, Hein Sprong","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-24-00119","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Serological assays are important tools for detecting the presence of antibodies that are indicative of past and ongoing infections. For wildlife, species-specific conjugates, which are used as detection antibodies in primary binding assays, are not available for most species. In these cases, conjugates for closely related species or immunoglobulin-binding proteins are frequently used. These are often not validated and their low functional affinity may result in false-negative results. We tested 11 commercial conjugates, including protein G and species- or family-specific secondary conjugated antibodies, on eight rodent and two insectivore species (shrews). Using direct ELISAs, between-species and within-species differences in the functional affinity of the conjugates were assessed. Large differences in antibody binding of the conjugates were observed. Some conjugates were species-specific, binding only to antibodies from one species, whereas others were able to bind across a broad range of species. The strength of the antibody-conjugate interaction varied between species and sometimes within species. In general, stronger antibody-conjugate interactions were observed for rodent species than for shrews. Our study underlines the importance of confirming species-specific functional affinity of a conjugate, even if the conjugate is known to bind to antibodies of a closely related species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143780283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dana M Calhoun, Jasmine Groves, Paula A Schaffer, Tyler J Achatz, Stephen E Greiman, Pieter T J Johnson
{"title":"Epizootic of Clinostomum marginatum (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) in Ambystoma tigrinum from Colorado, USA: Investigation through Genomics, Histopathology, and Noninvasive Imagery.","authors":"Dana M Calhoun, Jasmine Groves, Paula A Schaffer, Tyler J Achatz, Stephen E Greiman, Pieter T J Johnson","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00068","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trematodes in the genus Clinostomum develop into large metacercariae that can sometimes achieve high intensity in their second intermediate hosts, potentially causing pathology. In 2022, there was 100% (15/15) infection prevalence of Clinostomum marginatum, with a mean of 3,125 metacercariae per salamander (range: 279-4,075) and a median of 2,949. Dissection and histopathology results indicated that C. marginatum was found in nearly all body tissues and organs of the salamanders. Parasitic infection was closely associated with chronic inflammation and fibrosis around the cysts, with heavily infected hosts exhibiting altered buoyancy and difficulty swimming. The following summer, only 22.0% (6/27) of salamanders were infected with C. marginatum; based on their size, these were probably overwintering larvae from 2022. Here, we characterize a morbidity event in tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) from a freshwater pond in Boulder, Colorado, USA, linked to extreme clinostomid infection. After using necropsy, genomic analysis, and histopathological assessment to record the intensity and pathology associated with infections, we assessed the validity of using noninvasive, image-based methods to quantify infection. Over 2 yr, we recorded in situ video imagery of 62 larval A. tigrinum, of which a subset of larvae was collected for parasitological assessment. Infection loads of C. marginatum quantified indirectly via imagery of subcutaneous cysts correlated strongly with direct counts via necropsy and were consistent between independent reviewers, highlighting the utility of this non-invasive assessment method. All evaluated A. tigrinum were co-infected with additional parasite taxa. Prevalence of other trematodes included Ribeiroia ondatrae (80%) and Cephalogonimus americanus (77.5%), as well as the nematode Megalobatrachonema elongata (75%). To discern the impact of such high metacercarial burden of C. marginatum on tiger salamander, future work should incorporate experimental approaches to evaluate load-dependent consequences for host growth, survival, behavior, and time to metamorphosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"448-460"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143663787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ana Hernandez-Reyes, Jeroen De Buck, Jennifer L Davies, Razieh Eshraghisamani, Larissa Martins, Karin Orsel
{"title":"Diagnostic Strategies and Strain Typing for Johne's Disease in Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae).","authors":"Ana Hernandez-Reyes, Jeroen De Buck, Jennifer L Davies, Razieh Eshraghisamani, Larissa Martins, Karin Orsel","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00091","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00091","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cattle diseases are considered a major threat to wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) conservation. Johne's disease (JD) is a chronic infectious enteritis caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), that affects domestic and wild ruminants globally and could negatively impact wood bison health. Clinical manifestation of JD in free-ranging or captive wood bison has not been documented. We studied animals in a captive wood bison herd in Alberta, Canada 1) to detect Map in bison clinically suspected of Johne's disease, by histopathology, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and isolation by culture; 2) to identify optimal tissue samples for Map detection; and 3) to identify the strain(s) of Map isolated. Six wood bison were evaluated with clinical signs suggestive of JD. We performed necropsies within 24-48 h after euthanasia and collected 24 tissue samples from each bison. At necropsy, no evidence of thickening or corrugation of the intestinal mucosa was observed in any bison. On histopathologic examination, granulomatous lesions with acid-fast bacilli were more frequent in the paracortex of the midjejunal lymph node (LN) and distal jejunal LN, followed by ileal LN, in comparison to the rest of the tissue samples evaluated. In general, tissue culture had the highest proportion of positive samples, with 62.5% (90/144) of positive samples, followed by F57/IS900 qPCR with 43.1% (56/130), and histopathology with 29.0% (38/131). We concluded that distal jejunum and its associated lymph nodes were the most reliable tissue samples for detecting Map, regardless of tissue autolysis or the absence of visible gross lesions. Finally, using IS1311 PCR-restriction enzyme analysis and single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we identified a type II (cattle) strain, secondary clade, in tissue samples. These findings have practical relevance for field necropsies as they provide evidence to direct selection of preferred sampling sites to detect Map in wood bison and to choose appropriate diagnostic techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"285-296"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Timothy J Brunner, Sharon L Deem, Colton Stevens, Jacobo Romano Noriega, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin
{"title":"Aphanoascella galapagosensis Shell Lesion Coverage of Free-Living Galapagos Tortoises: Implications for Health and Conservation.","authors":"Timothy J Brunner, Sharon L Deem, Colton Stevens, Jacobo Romano Noriega, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00118","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal pathogens of reptiles are commonly diagnosed, with Aphanoascella galapagosensis known to affect Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.), although the implications of this fungus for the health and well-being of these unique species remain understudied. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore health and environmental variables that may be correlated with white lesion shell coverage associated with A. galapagosensis in free-living Galapagos tortoises. For 200 western Santa Cruz tortoises (Chelonoidis porteri) and 70 Alcedo tortoises (Chelonoidis vandenburghi), the percentage of white lesion fungal coverage was calculated based on images taken from six different projections per individual, including the carapace and plastron. White lesion shell coverage was compared between species and correlated with hematology and blood chemistry parameters, season, elevation, shell integrity (i.e., scratches, lesions, and fractures), and land-use type. A higher percentage of white lesion carapacial fungal coverage was found in western Santa Cruz tortoises (3.3%) than Alcedo tortoises (0.055%). In both species, a positive correlation was found between white lesion fungal coverage and lymphocyte counts. In addition, tortoises sampled in more humid areas had a higher prevalence of fungal coverage. This study indicates that fungal coverage may be influenced by environmental factors and may affect the overall health status of critically endangered Galapagos giant tortoises.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"297-307"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143692560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James G Booth, Brenda J Hanley, Noelle E Thompson, Carlos Gonzalez Crespo, Sonja A Christensen, Chris S Jennelle, Joe N Caudell, Zackary J Delisle, Joseph Guinness, Nicholas A Hollingshead, Cara E Them, Krysten L Schuler
{"title":"Management Agencies can Leverage Animal Social Structure for Wildlife Disease Surveillance.","authors":"James G Booth, Brenda J Hanley, Noelle E Thompson, Carlos Gonzalez Crespo, Sonja A Christensen, Chris S Jennelle, Joe N Caudell, Zackary J Delisle, Joseph Guinness, Nicholas A Hollingshead, Cara E Them, Krysten L Schuler","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00079","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wildlife agencies are tasked with sustaining healthy wildlife populations. Advances in understanding health in wildlife, are, however, suppressed by issues with surveillance. Cost and logistical complexity are leading reasons why ideal surveillance implementation is often infeasible. A particularly important issue in surveillance is the sample size necessary to declare a local wildlife population (or social group) disease free. More precisely, how many animals must we sample to conclude with high confidence that prevalence of an infectious disease is below a specified threshold? Here we show that the answer to this question hinges on the ease of transmission between animals, a factor not considered in standard sample-size formulas. When disease statuses of animals in a local population are positively correlated, such as when a species forms social groups, the sample size requirement needed to declare freedom from disease is substantially lower relative to sample sizes suggested by existing hypergeometric and binomial models. Local wildlife populations or social groups must satisfy key properties for scientists to leverage this saving, but a reduction in cost arising in such a scenario is a welcome win in surveillance implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"472-476"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jignesh Italiya, Petra Straková, Lukáš Pavlačík, Jiří Váhala, Jaroslav Haimy Hyjánek, Jiří Salát, Daniel Růžek, Dominika Komárková, Jiří Černý
{"title":"Wildlife Sentinel: Development of Multispecies Protein A-ELISA for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Zoo Animals as a Proof of Concept for Wildlife Surveillance.","authors":"Jignesh Italiya, Petra Straková, Lukáš Pavlačík, Jiří Váhala, Jaroslav Haimy Hyjánek, Jiří Salát, Daniel Růžek, Dominika Komárková, Jiří Černý","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00028","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first emerged in Wuhan in 2019 and rapidly spread worldwide. During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous reports highlighted infections of wild animals by SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, further research is required to understand the virus potential to infect various animal species, which is crucial for evaluating its future evolution and the potential reemergence of SARS-CoV-2. The total concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) represents a valuable yet underused diagnostic parameter for health assessments in wild animals, primarily due to the absence of effective diagnostic tools. A protein A-based indirect ELISA can serve as an efficient method to identify IgG antibodies against different pathogens in wildlife surveillance programs. To develop a multispecies protein A-ELISA for IgG detection against SARS-CoV-2, we used 44 animal species serum samples to ascertain the protein A binding affinity, and 88 serum samples, chosen for the strong binding affinity to protein A, were used to identify IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The serum samples were obtained from animals housed in Safari Park Dvůr Králové, Czech Republic. The zoo animals are in proximity to humans, facilitating the exploration of potential reverse transmission events of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals. Also, they undergo routine veterinary examinations, providing convenient access to blood samples. Therefore, they can be easily used for the development of protein A-based indirect ELISA for wildlife disease surveillance programs. Based on the ELISA results, antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were detected in the sera of 16 animals. To further confirm these findings, the ELISA-positive samples were subjected to virus neutralization assays. This additional testing revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in the serum of two white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) and one Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana).</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"396-407"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Philippe M-A Gourlay, Caroline M Lefrère, Julie Botman, Dianjara Rakotoharisoa, Nadine Brisseau, Anne Lehebel, Séverine Murri, Marisa Haenni, Jean-Yves Madec, François Meurens
{"title":"Epidemiological and Clinical Profile of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infections in European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) Treated at a Wildlife Health Center in Northwestern France.","authors":"Philippe M-A Gourlay, Caroline M Lefrère, Julie Botman, Dianjara Rakotoharisoa, Nadine Brisseau, Anne Lehebel, Séverine Murri, Marisa Haenni, Jean-Yves Madec, François Meurens","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00128","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00128","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is commonly observed in France, residing near human facilities, and is the most frequently treated mammal species in wildlife rehabilitation centers. Consequently, contacts with humans can lead to the potential transmission of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, between species. Although the presence of S. aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), has been documented in hedgehogs across Europe, the situation in France remains unclear. We assessed 139 hedgehogs representative of those typically admitted to our Wildlife Health Center. Carriage of MRSA was determined, and MRSA-positive individuals were characterized clinically and epidemiologically to identify potential risk factors of MRSA carriage. We found an 18% MRSA carriage rate, with 76% of the strains exhibiting the mecC resistance gene. Adult males constituted 60% of the MRSA-positive cases, predominantly found in spring and displaying skin lesions, particularly \"dirty wounds.\" Multivariate logistic regression identified \"age\", \"sex\", \"human density\", \"dirty wounds\", and \"respiratory troubles\" as significantly associated with MRSA carriage in these hedgehogs. Our study establishes a foundation for improved monitoring of health conditions in French hedgehogs and their MRSA carriage, offering new insights for enhancing biosecurity measures in wildlife rehabilitation centers by pinpointing high-risk individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"308-319"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haley M Turner, Angela K Fuller, Joshua P Twining, Gavin R Hitchener, Melissa A Fadden, David E Stallknecht, Rebecca L Poulson, Deborah L Carter, Mandy B Watson, Krysten L Schuler, Jennifer C G Bloodgood
{"title":"Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Exposure and Infection in Free-Ranging Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York, USA.","authors":"Haley M Turner, Angela K Fuller, Joshua P Twining, Gavin R Hitchener, Melissa A Fadden, David E Stallknecht, Rebecca L Poulson, Deborah L Carter, Mandy B Watson, Krysten L Schuler, Jennifer C G Bloodgood","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00137","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A virus (HP H5N1) cases in wild mammals have been increasing globally. Carnivora has been the most affected mammal order; however, the extent of morbidity and mortality in carnivores exposed to HP H5N1 remains undefined. We assessed the presence of antibodies to H5 and N1 in the sera of 16 live-captured bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York State, USA; reported on postcapture outcomes of HP H5N1-exposed bobcats; and reported on a case of HP H5N1 infection in one bobcat. In 2024, 4/16 bobcats (25%) tested positive for antibodies to H5 and N1. Two bobcats were confirmed alive as of November 2024 according to GPS data; the other two were alive as of June 2024, when their GPS collars stopped communicating. Another bobcat, which was negative for HP H5N1 antibodies at capture, died from HP H5N1 infection within 5 wks of capture. Our results provide evidence of bobcats both surviving and succumbing to HP H5N1 infection and highlight the importance of focused health studies paired with monitoring data to better understand exposure, infection, and outcomes for novel pathogens and species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"515-521"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143656847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jordan T Taylor, Vivian Lee, Tracey Dearlove, Megan Jolly, Janelle R Wierenga, Jeremy Dubrulle, James Hodgkinson-Bean, Stuart Hunter, Brett Gartrell, Kerri Morgan, Kate McInnes, Nigel French, Edward C Holmes, Jemma L Geoghegan
{"title":"A Metagenomic Investigation into Apteryx rowi Dermatosis Identifies Multiple Novel Viruses and a Highly Abundant Nematode.","authors":"Jordan T Taylor, Vivian Lee, Tracey Dearlove, Megan Jolly, Janelle R Wierenga, Jeremy Dubrulle, James Hodgkinson-Bean, Stuart Hunter, Brett Gartrell, Kerri Morgan, Kate McInnes, Nigel French, Edward C Holmes, Jemma L Geoghegan","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00115","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sporadic cases of dermatosis have been reported in wild Ōkārito Rowi (Apteryx rowi), a species of brown kiwi, for over a decade. The disease exhibits distinctive features, including lesions, lichenification, and feather loss. Swab samples and full-thickness skin biopsies were collected during a survey of affected kiwi in 2023 for a metatranscriptome-based, total infectome investigation to identify any possible microbial agents associated with the disease. Our approach identified novel viruses as well as a species of nematode in high relative abundance. We found a highly abundant hepacivirus within the Flaviviridae, but only in some mild cases of dermatitis across all sample types, and in both active and chronic infections. In addition, we found a significant shift in the taxonomic composition of the nonviral microbiome within severe chronic dermatitis cases, particularly an increased abundance of transcripts from a Eucoleus sp. parasitic. Although determining the primary cause of disease in critically endangered wildlife such as Rowi remains challenging, our detection of novel and highly abundant microorganisms opens new lines of inquiry to investigate their potential association with dermatosis in this nationally iconic species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"382-395"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143730580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Elevated Body Temperature Associated with Ketamine Combinations during Capture of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho, USA.","authors":"Mark L Drew, Jennifer L Struthers","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00161","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00161","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Capture and handling of wildlife is essential to answering pertinent questions about ecology and biology. It is important to refine methods to increase animal welfare and safety. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) have been captured annually in Idaho, USA, for management or research purposes since their reintroduction in 1995-96. Two wolves died of hyperthermia during aerial darting in 2015. A retrospective analysis of 490 captures between 1999 and 2018 was conducted to identify factors that might contribute to the likelihood of hyperthermia (body temperature ≥41 C) when using anesthetic drugs in wolves. Wolves were captured in summer (May-October, n=321) by using foothold traps and anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine (n=66), ketamine-medetomidine (n=51), or tiletamine-zolazepam (n=204). Wolves were captured in winter (November-April, n=169) by using aerial darting with ketamine-medetomidine (n=75) or tiletamine-zolazepam (n=94). Mean body temperatures of wolves captured in summer were 39.7 C for ketamine-xylazine, 39.9 C for ketamine-medetomidine, and 39.5 C for tiletamine-zolazepam; in winter, mean temperatures were 40.4 C for ketamine-medetomidine and 39.1 C for tiletamine-zolazepam. In summer captures, hyperthermia occurred in 6/66 (9.1%) of wolves by using ketamine-xylazine, 7/51 (13.7%) by using ketamine-medetomidine, and 19/204 (9.3%) by using tiletamine-zolazepam. For winter captures, hyperthermia occurred in 20/75 (26.7%) of wolves by using ketamine-medetomidine and 7/94 (7.5%) by using tiletamine-zolazepam. Mixed-effects linear regression analysis was used to investigate the role of drug administration on initial body temperature while controlling for demographic and environmental factors. The top models supported effects of drugs administered on initial body temperature for wolves captured in both summer and winter. Ketamine, especially when combined with medetomidine, was associated with greater increased body temperatures than tiletamine-zolazepam, irrespective of season or method of capture.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"419-433"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143483576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}