Kathleen Apakupakul, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin, Tsanta F Rakotonanahary, Lilian S Catenacci, Fidisoa Rasambainarivo, Santatriniaina Randrianarisoa, Carlos Sacristán, Encarnación Madueño, Bonnie L Raphael, Sharon L Deem
{"title":"Molecular Identification of Mycoplasma agassizii in Confiscated Tortoises in Madagascar.","authors":"Kathleen Apakupakul, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin, Tsanta F Rakotonanahary, Lilian S Catenacci, Fidisoa Rasambainarivo, Santatriniaina Randrianarisoa, Carlos Sacristán, Encarnación Madueño, Bonnie L Raphael, Sharon L Deem","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00040","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mycoplasmosis is of concern for chelonian conservation. We detected a Mycoplasma sp. in confiscated radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and spider tortoises (Pyxis arachnoides). Sequence analysis of the 16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer region was consistent with Mycoplasma agassizii. Mycoplasma spp. have not been previously reported in native tortoises in Madagascar.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"258-261"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142468905","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}
Christine J E Haake, Nathaniel P LaHue, Kyle R Taylor
{"title":"Six Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Dead in Smith Valley, Nevada, USA.","authors":"Christine J E Haake, Nathaniel P LaHue, Kyle R Taylor","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00192","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00192","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"272-275"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142622832","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":"Book Review.","authors":"Aniruddha Belsare","doi":"10.7589/0090-3558-61.1.BR1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-61.1.BR1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Book reviews express the opinions of the individual authors regarding the value of the book's content for Journal of Wildlife Diseases readers. The reviews are subjective assessments and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, nor do they establish any official policy of the Wildlife Disease Association.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142575984","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":"Book Review.","authors":"Alexandra C Jerao","doi":"10.7589/0090-3558-61.1.BR2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-61.1.BR2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Book reviews express the opinions of the individual authors regarding the value of the book's content for Journal of Wildlife Diseases readers. The reviews are subjective assessments and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, nor do they establish any official policy of the Wildlife Disease Association.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142575992","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}
Kelcie Fredrickson, Laura Adamovicz, Karen Terio, Alexis Davidson, Maura Ryan, Michelle Waligora, Kayla Schroder, Samantha Bradley, Carley Lionetto, Kirsten Andersson, Aubrey Engel, William Graser, Chris Anchor, Gary Glowacki, Matthew C Allender
{"title":"Emydomyces testavorans Surveillance in Multiple Free-Ranging Terrestrial and Aquatic Chelonian Species in Illinois, USA.","authors":"Kelcie Fredrickson, Laura Adamovicz, Karen Terio, Alexis Davidson, Maura Ryan, Michelle Waligora, Kayla Schroder, Samantha Bradley, Carley Lionetto, Kirsten Andersson, Aubrey Engel, William Graser, Chris Anchor, Gary Glowacki, Matthew C Allender","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00164","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00164","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The order Onygenales contains multiple fungal pathogens that affect free-ranging and zoo-housed reptilian species. Emydomyces testavorans, an onygenalean fungus associated with skin and shell disease, has been sporadically detected in aquatic chelonians. Because of the recent discovery of this organism, little is known about its prevalence in free-ranging chelonians. The objective of this study was to perform surveillance for E. testavorans in six free-ranging aquatic and terrestrial chelonian species in Illinois, USA: Blanding's turtles (n=437; Emydoidea blandingii), painted turtles (n=199; Chrysemys picta), common snapping turtles (n=35; Chelydra serpentina), red-eared sliders (n=62; RES; Trachemys scripta elegans), eastern box turtles (n=73; Terrapene carolina carolina) and ornate box turtles (n=29; Terrapene ornata). Combined cloacal-oral swabs (COSs) or shell (carapace and plastron surfaces) swabs were collected from 2019 to 2021 and tested for E. testavorans using quantitative PCR. The PCR detected E. testavorans in COSs of an adult male, subadult female, and juvenile male Blanding's turtle (0.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-1.9%) and a shell swab from an adult female RES (1.6%; 95% CI, 0-8.7%). Shell lesions consistent with E. testavorans infection were present in two of the positive Blanding's turtles. These results document the rarity of this pathogen on the landscape in Illinois. Additional studies should determine this pathogen's impact on individuals and clarify its significance for conservation efforts of Blanding's turtle, in which E. testavorans has not been reported previously.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"850-859"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141751991","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}
Carter J Littlefair, Andrew E Derocher, Paul F Frame, Mark A Edwards, Delaney D Frame, Owen M Slater, Corey A Smereka
{"title":"Chemical Immobilization Effects on Cougar (Felis concolor) Movement.","authors":"Carter J Littlefair, Andrew E Derocher, Paul F Frame, Mark A Edwards, Delaney D Frame, Owen M Slater, Corey A Smereka","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00191","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Capturing and handling wildlife is a common practice for both management and research. As telemetry use has become common, the need to capture and chemically immobilize wildlife has increased. Understanding how long the effects of immobilizing agents last after releasing the animal is often poorly understood but needed to ensure that analyses use data that reflect natural behavior. Between 2016 and 2021, 60 cougars (Puma concolor) were chemically immobilized with medetomidine, zolazepam, and tiletamine (MZT) and collared across west-central Alberta, Canada, 27 of which were individuals being recollared. We examined the distance an individual traveled per day and compared equivalent periods before and after the recollaring event to determine whether postcapture movement rates were significantly different from precapture rates. Within 1 d of the recollaring, daily movement rates had returned to precapture rates (t20=2.09, P=0.18). Our results provide insight on how MZT used in cougars affects their postcapture movement and thus may be helpful in interpreting movement data after release.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"985-990"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141878991","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}
Avery M Corondi, Justin D Brown, Jeremiah E Banfield, W David Walter
{"title":"Comparison of Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine and Nalbuphine-Medetomidine-Azaperone in Free-Ranging Elk (Cervus canadensis) in Pennsylvania, USA.","authors":"Avery M Corondi, Justin D Brown, Jeremiah E Banfield, W David Walter","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00127","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemical immobilization is commonly used to capture and handle free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis). Butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM) and nalbuphine-medetomidine-azaperone (NalMed-A) are compounded drug combinations that are lower-scheduled in the US than drugs historically used for elk immobilizations. We compared BAM and NalMed-A for immobilization of free-ranging elk using free-darting and Clover trapping. From January 2020 to April 2022, 196 female elk were immobilized in Pennsylvania, USA. We report vital rates, induction and recovery times, and the need for supplemental drugs. We built mixed-effects logistic regression models to describe differences between drug choice based on induction and recovery times, capture method, and individual variation. Several models were competing, including our null model, which suggests that BAM and NalMed-A are comparable based on the parameters we evaluated. Supplemental drug administration was more frequently needed in NalMed-A immobilizations (21.2%) than in BAM immobilizations (9.0%). Overall, we found minor differences between BAM and NalMed-A, both of which appear to be effective for immobilizing elk in both free-darting and Clover trapping scenarios when performing moderately invasive, minimally painful procedures on free-ranging elk.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"950-955"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142017908","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}
Agostina Tammone Santos, Walter E Condorí, Valentina Fernández, Lorena Loyza, Andrea E Caselli, Marcela M Uhart, Silvia M Estein
{"title":"Serologic Survey of Brucella spp. in Culled Invasive Alien Mammals from El Palmar National Park, Argentina, and in Exposed Consumers.","authors":"Agostina Tammone Santos, Walter E Condorí, Valentina Fernández, Lorena Loyza, Andrea E Caselli, Marcela M Uhart, Silvia M Estein","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00160","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00160","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp. and transmitted from domestic and wild animals to humans. Brucellosis causes important economic losses in livestock, has a significant impact on public health, and may affect the health of wildlife. Hunting and consumption of meat from culled wildlife constitute a risk for Brucella spp. infection in humans and hunting dogs. In El Palmar National Park (EPNP), Argentina, the invasive alien mammals wild boar (Sus scrofa) and axis deer (Axis axis) are controlled, slaughtered in situ, and consumed by hunters, with meat trimmings and offal often fed to dogs. In this study, we evaluated but did not detect anti-Brucella antibodies in wild boar (n=95) and axis deer (n=238) from EPNP or in game consumers, dogs (n=39) and humans (n=61). These results suggest a lack of exposure to Brucella spp. at this site during the study period. Despite negative findings in the sampled location, One Health surveillance across multiple species contributes to our understanding of pathogen dynamics and enables targeted interventions to minimize health risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"960-963"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142055921","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}
Alexander A Levitskiy, Manigandan Lejeune, Elizabeth L Buckles, Andrea J Patterson, Sara E Childs-Sanford
{"title":"Cutaneous Lesions in the Gular Region Caused by Feather Follicle Infestation with Harpirhynchidae sp. Mites in Great Crested Flycatchers (Myiarchus crinitus) in New York, USA, 2016-23.","authors":"Alexander A Levitskiy, Manigandan Lejeune, Elizabeth L Buckles, Andrea J Patterson, Sara E Childs-Sanford","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00166","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-23-00166","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Great Crested Flycatchers (Myiarchus crinitus), migratory passerines with a breeding range throughout the northeastern, midwestern, and southern US, are banded annually at the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, New York, USA. In 2016, a Great Crested Flycatcher was observed with distinct lesions in the gular and ventral neck region, which prompted evaluation for similar lesions in subsequently trapped flycatchers and other passerine species. From 2016 to 2023, 62/102 banded Great Crested Flycatchers had their gular region examined, and seven were found to have lesions (11.3% incidence). Similar lesions were not found in any other species. Lesions were localized to the gular region and included extensive feather loss with thickened, corrugated, pale-yellow skin. Grossly visible 1- to 2-mm-diameter, raised, white-to-yellow foci throughout the affected region corresponded microscopically to feather follicles that were massively dilated with mites. Morphologic analysis of mites obtained from skin scrapes revealed that this mite species belongs to the family Harpirhynchidae. Mites in this family have restricted avian host ranges and cause varying clinical presentations in passerines, though many species remain unidentified. PCR efforts were unsuccessful in yielding a species-level identification. Further monitoring of Great Crested Flycatchers and other avian species is warranted, as the fitness implications of this ectoparasitism at the individual and population levels are not known.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"964-969"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141563662","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}
C Robert Stilz, Margaret E Pritchett, Rebecca H Hardman, Nicole M Nemeth
{"title":"Sand Enteropathy in a Free-Ranging Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) from Florida, USA.","authors":"C Robert Stilz, Margaret E Pritchett, Rebecca H Hardman, Nicole M Nemeth","doi":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00074","DOIUrl":"10.7589/JWD-D-24-00074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A subadult Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) was found dead near a fishing pier in Florida, USA. Necropsy revealed abundant sand accumulation throughout the intestines. Fibrinous coelomitis with isolation of mixed bacteria, including Enterobacter cloacae complex, suggests secondary intestinal compromise. Sand ingestion might reflect geophagia, environmental hardships, or age-related diving inexperience.</p>","PeriodicalId":17602,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"1037-1040"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141748503","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}