Mass poisonings of the Vulnerable Andean condor prompt national strategy against the use of toxic baits in Argentina

Massive deaths of Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) prompted a National Strategy Against the Use of Toxic Baits in Argentina, based on 6 lines of action: 1) delivery of kits and unified intervention protocols in cases of wildlife poisoning, 2) community education programs, 3) surveys of rural people, 4) training courses and participatory construction workshops, 5) toxicology studies, and 6) an academic-scientific committee made up of specialists in toxicology. The strategy was developed in the 14 provinces of the country where the Andean condor is distributed. 554 people from 166 institutions have participated in the trainings and workshops, reporting 200 poisoning events involving more than 21000 individuals from 61 species. Birds and mammals were the groups most affected, and further, human victims show the impact on public health. 19 toxic substances were identified, mainly insecticides. This study proved that carbofuran is the toxic most used. Analysis of bait types suggests a significant conflict with carnivores. 195 surveys revealed that almost half of the farmers know people who use toxic baits and that the negative perception towards some species could determine their use. The strategy began to address the problem of the use of toxic baits in Argentina in a strategic, participatory and regional way, through the management of public policies and scientific research. We propose actions to work on the causes that lead to the application of this dangerous practice. Given its extensive use, we believe that this strategy can be adapted and applied in other countries in the region.Fil: Jácome, N. Luis. Fundación Bioandina Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Abarzua, Gabriela. Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible; ArgentinaFil: Astore, Vanesa. Ecoparque de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Fundación Bioandina Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Estrada Pacheco, Rayén. Fundación Bioandina Argentina; Argentina. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentin

Wind energy could be a threat to Andean Condor

Wind energy has rapidly evolved, with increasing deployment of larger turbines in previously unsuitable areas leading to a concomitant increase in potential impacts on biodiversity (Serrano et al. 2020). With these changes, many birds, including vultures, are more likely to collide with turbines due to their foraging ecology, fight type, and visual feld characteristics (Martin et al. 2012)....Fil: Jácome, N. Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Pavez, Eduardo. No especifíca;Fil: Piña, Carlos Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Camiña, Alvaro. No especifíca;Fil: Estrada Pacheco, Rayén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Repeated conservation threats across the Americas: High levels of blood and bone lead in the Andean Condor widen the problem to a continental scale

Wildlife lead exposure is an increasing conservation threat that is being widely investigated. However, for some areas of the world (e.g., South America) and certain species, research on this subject is still scarce or only local information is available. We analyzed the extent and intensity of lead exposure for a widely distributed threatened species, the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus). We conducted the study at two different scales: 1) sampling of birds received for rehabilitation or necropsy in Argentina, and 2) bibliographic review and extensive survey considering exposure event for the species' distribution in South America. Wild condors from Argentina (n = 76) presented high lead levels consistent with both recent and previous exposure (up to 104 μg/dL blood level, mean 15.47 ± 21.21 μg/dL and up to 148.20 ppm bone level, mean 23.08 ± 31.39 ppm). In contrast, captive bred individuals -not exposed to lead contamination- had much lower lead levels (mean blood level 5.63 ± 3.08 μg/dL, and mean bone level 2.76 ± 3.06 ppm). Condors were exposed to lead throughout their entire range in continental Argentina, which represents almost sixty percent (>4000 km) of their geographical distribution. We also present evidence of lead exposure events in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. Lead poisoning is a widespread major conservation threat for the Andean Condor, and probably other sympatric carnivores from South America. The high number and wide range of Andean Condors with lead values complement the results for the California Condor and other scavengers in North America suggesting lead poisoning is a continental threat. Urgent actions are needed to reduce this poison in the wild.Fil: Wiemeyer, Guillermo. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. The Peregrine Fund; Estados Unidos. Fundación Cabure-í; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Miguel A.. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Torres Bianchini, Laura. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Sampietro, Luciano. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Bravo, Guillermo F.. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Jacome, Norberto Luis. Fundación Bioandina Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Astore, Vanesa. Jardín Zoológico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Fundación Bioandina Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Lambertucci, Sergio Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin

The complete mitogenome of the invasive Japanese mud snail Batillaria attramentaria (Gastropoda: Batillariidae) from Elkhorn Slough, California, USA

Genomic analysis of the invasive marine snail Batillaria attramentaria from Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing, California, USA using 150 bp paired-end Illumina sequences resulted in the assembly of its complete mitogenome. The mitogenome is 16,095 bp in length and contains 2 rRNA, 13 protein-coding, and 22 tRNA genes (GenBank Accession MN557850). Gene content and organization of B. attramentaria are identical to the Turritellidae and Pachychilidae. The phylogenetic analysis of B. attramentaria resolves it in a fully supported clade with these same two families in the superfamily Cerithioidea. Nucleotide BLAST searches of the Elkhorn Slough cox1 gene of B. attramentaria yielded identical sequences from invasive populations from California and British Columbia, and native populations from northeastern and central Japan. These data show that mitogenome sequencing is a useful tool for studying the classification and phylogenetic history Cerithioidea

BJS commission on surgery and perioperative care post-COVID-19

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020 and global surgical practice was compromised. This Commission aimed to document and reflect on the changes seen in the surgical environment during the pandemic, by reviewing colleagues experiences and published evidence. Methods: In late 2020, BJS contacted colleagues across the global surgical community and asked them to describe how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had affected their practice. In addition to this, the Commission undertook a literature review on the impact of COVID-19 on surgery and perioperative care. A thematic analysis was performed to identify the issues most frequently encountered by the correspondents, as well as the solutions and ideas suggested to address them. Results: BJS received communications for this Commission from leading clinicians and academics across a variety of surgical specialties in every inhabited continent. The responses from all over the world provided insights into multiple facets of surgical practice from a governmental level to individual clinical practice and training. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a variety of problems in healthcare systems, including negative impacts on surgical practice. Global surgical multidisciplinary teams are working collaboratively to address research questions about the future of surgery in the post-COVID-19 era. The COVID-19 pandemic is severely damaging surgical training. The establishment of a multidisciplinary ethics committee should be encouraged at all surgical oncology centres. Innovative leadership and collaboration is vital in the post-COVID-19 era

Delaying surgery for patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection

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