Mink Farms Predict Aleutian Disease Exposure in Wild American Mink

BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases can often be of conservation importance for wildlife. Spillover, when infectious disease is transmitted from a reservoir population to sympatric wildlife, is a particular threat. American mink (Neovison vison) populations across Canada appear to be declining, but factors thus far explored have not fully explained this population trend. Recent research has shown, however, that domestic mink are escaping from mink farms and hybridizing with wild mink. Domestic mink may also be spreading Aleutian disease (AD), a highly pathogenic parvovirus prevalent in mink farms, to wild mink populations. AD could reduce fitness in wild mink by reducing both the productivity of adult females and survivorship of juveniles and adults. METHODS: To assess the seroprevalence and geographic distribution of AD infection in free-ranging mink in relation to the presence of mink farms, we conducted both a large-scale serological survey, across the province of Ontario, and a smaller-scale survey, at the interface between a mink farm and wild mink. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Antibodies to AD were detected in 29% of mink (60 of 208 mink sampled); however, seroprevalence was significantly higher in areas closer to mink farms than in areas farther from farms, at both large and small spatial scales. Our results indicate that mink farms act as sources of AD transmission to the wild. As such, it is likely that wild mink across North America may be experiencing increased exposure to AD, via disease transmission from mink farms, which may be affecting wild mink demographics across their range. In light of declining mink populations, high AD seroprevalence within some mink farms, and the large number of mink farms situated across North America, improved biosecurity measures on farms are warranted to prevent continued disease transmission at the interface between mink farms and wild mink populations

Biométrie, reproduction et sympatrie chez Didelphis marsupialis et D. albiventris en Guyane française (Didelphidae : Marsupialia)

International audienceDuring the flooding of a primary lowland rainforest at the Petit Saut electricdam in French Guiana, opossums of the genus Didelphis were caught in 89 localities dispersedover a surface of ca. 60 km2 along the Sinnamary River. Based on external morphological cha-racters such as ear colour and/or facial markings, 41 D. albiventris and 200 D. marsupialis wereidentified, measured, and released in a primary forest near the dam. Because the two species aremorphologically so similar, some doubt on their identification remained for a few animals withintermediate phenotype. For 162 individuals, a skin biopsy was performed as a source of DNAfor molecular species identification. By the combined use of two molecular probes, 31 D. albi-ventris and 129 D. marsupialis have been positively recognized, thus indicating that externalmorphology did correctly recognize 95 % of individuals. Sixteen sampling localities revealed thesyntopic presence of both species, extending the few previous observations suggesting that sym-patry does occur in French Guiana.External measurements (head and body, tail-length, hind foot, and weight) indicate that thewhite-eared opossum D. albiventris is smaller than the black-eared D. marsupialis, althoughvalues overlap considerably. A combination of two measurements (hind foot; eye-muzzle dis-tance) allows to specifically discriminate most individuals.The female reproductive activity was noted, and indicates that embryos and/or lactatingfemales arc observed during almost all months, but with half observations occurring betweenMarch and May. The average litter size is similar in both species.These data indicate that D. albiventris, although less abundant, does coexist in sympatrywith D. marsupialis in Guianan lowland primary rainforest. Such an observation leads the pre-mices of future ecological studies aimed at understanding how these two related taxa share theirhabitat in order to diminish interspecific competitio

Suivi démographique et sanitaire d'un noyau de population de Vison d'Europe en Navarre : rôle de la maladie de Carré et des différents facteurs de surmortalité

1 página.-- Trabajo presentado al 35ème Colloque Francophone de Mammalogie: les mammifères dans les écosystèmes aquatiques. (Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. 19 au 21 octobre 2012)Peer Reviewe

Seguimiento demográfico y serológico de la población de visón europeo (Mustela lutreola) de los tramos bajos del río Arga: papel del moquillo canino

Trabajo presentado al: XI Congreso de la Sociedad Española para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM) (Avilés, Asturias, 5-8 diciembre, 2013).Peer Reviewe