Comparison of three serological tests for the detection of Coxiella burnetii specific antibodies in European wild rabbits.

BACKGROUND Coxiella burnetii causes Q fever, a zoonotic bacterial disease with a multi-host cycle and reservoirs in wild and domestic animal species. Q fever has a significant impact on the Australian public health and economy but its ecology and contributing reservoir species remain poorly understood. In Europe, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were identified as a major reservoir of C. burnetii and it is possible that they play a similar role in Australia. In absence of commercial kit available for rabbit, the Thermo Fisher - PrioCHECK™ Ruminant Q fever Ab Plate Kit was adapted to successfully screen rabbits population in Europe. However, this assay is not accessible in Australia and we assessed the equivalency of two commercially available kits in Australia - IDEXX - CHEKIT Q Fever Antibody ELISA kit and IDVet - ID Screen® Q Fever Indirect Multi-species with the Thermo Fisher kit (reference kit). RESULTS A total of 94 rabbit sera were screened by all three ELISA kits using the same confirmed positive and negative controls. While the IDEXX kit failed to agree the other two assays (concordance correlation coefficient, r < 0.77), IDVet kit showed satisfactory equivalency with Thermo Fisher (r = 0.927). CONCLUSION IDvet kit provides the best alternative for Thermo Fisher in the detection of C. burnetii specific antibodies in rabbits in Australia. Further trials are required to confirm these preliminary results due to the low seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii observed in the study sera

Examining the international bushmeat traffic in Belgium: A threat to conservation and public health.

peer reviewedThe carriage of bushmeat into the European Union is an infringement of EU Animal Health and Wildlife Trade legislation and poses a threat to biodiversity and public health. To explore the nature and scale of the international bushmeat trade, seized leaking luggage and passengers arriving at Brussels Zaventem airport from sub-Saharan Africa between 2017 and 2018 were searched for "meat" (bushmeat and livestock) by border control authorities. Visual identification, radiography and genetic analysis were applied to derive information from seized specimens, including at least ten CITES-listed species. We estimate that an average of 3.9 t of bushmeat is smuggled monthly through Brussels. The average consignment of meat seized per passenger was 2.8 kg and 4 kg of bushmeat or domestic livestock meat, respectively. The international trafficking of bushmeat is evidently active, yet penalties are rarely enforced; hence we provide suggestions to simplify law enforcement procedures

Bat E-Commerce: Insights Into the Extent and Potential Implications of This Dark Trade

Little is known about the global bat souvenir trade despite previous research efforts into bat harvest for bushmeat. We screened eBay listings of bats in Australia, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA to assess the nature and extent of the online offers. A total of 237 listings were retrieved in between the 11th and 25th of May 2020 with a median price per item of US$38.50 (range: US$8.50–2,500.00). Items on offer were mostly taxidermy (61.2%) or skull (21.1%) specimens. Overall, 32 different species of bat were advertised, most of which (n = 28) are listed as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. One species (Nycteris javanica) is classified as “Vulnerable” and one (Eidolon helvum) as “Near Threatened.” Pteropus spp. specimens were the most expensive specimens on offer and the conservations status of these species may range from “Critically Endangered” to “Data Deficient” by IUCN and the entire genus is listed in the Appendix II by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, the exact species concerned, and their respective conservation status, could not be confirmed based on the listings' photos. The sourcing of bat was restricted to mostly South-East Asian countries (a third of items sourced from Indonesia) and to two African countries. Our survey revealed that the online offer of bat products is diverse, abundant, and facilitated by worldwide sellers although most offered bats species are from South-East Asia. With a few exceptions, the species on offer were of little present conservation concern, however, many unknowns remain on the potential animal welfare, biosecurity, legal implications, and most importantly public health risks associated with this dark trade

Expert considerations and consensus for using dogs to detect human SARS-CoV-2-infections

Funding Information: This Open Access publication was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – 491094227 “Open Access Publication Funding” and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation.Peer reviewe

Biosecurity measures applied in the United Arab Emirates: a comparative study between livestock and wildlife sectors - Biosecurity measures applied in UAE farms

In 2013, the livestock population in the UAE exceeded 4.3 million heads with sheep and goats accounting for 90% of this. The overall number of captive wild ungulates (gazelle types) is difficult to assess as there is no registration system in place or enforced in the UAE with regard to the possession of wildlife. Those animal collections, mainly owned by high-ranking families, are therefore not registered and kept far from public viewing. Nonetheless, some collections are housing more than 30 000 ungulates in one location. The primary objective of this study was to describe the biosecurity measures currently applied in UAE ungulate facilities for different wildlife and livestock sectors. A secondary objective was to use the output from this biosecurity survey to investigate which sector could be categorized into risk groups for disease introduction and spread. Between October 2014 and May 2015, biosecurity questionnaire data were collected in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujeirah, Ajman, Umm al Quwain and Sharjah from 14 wildlife collections, 30 livestock farms and 15 mixed (wildlife and livestock farms). These investigations through questionnaires allowed us to quantify and assess statistically biosecurity practices and levels for both livestock and wildlife sectors. In both sectors, biosecurity measures could be improved and only a few facilities had high biosecurity scores. The group of small unregistered farms (Ezba) represented the highest risk of disease transmission to other animals due to their lack of biosecurity awareness.A.L. Chaber and C. Saegerma

Public health risks from illegally imported African bushmeat and smoked fish: Public health risks from African bushmeat and smoked fish

Large-scale importation of bushmeat from West and Central Africa into Europe was reported in 2010. We sampled 18 illegal African bushmeat consignments seized at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris, France and tested for the presence of bacteria. Additionally, five smuggled smoked fish were analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known carcinogens. All bushmeat samples had viable counts of aerobic bacteria above levels considered safe for human consumption. We also identified zoonotic bacterial pathogens in bushmeat and unsafe levels of carcinogens in fish. The illegal importation of meat is a potential risk for the introduction of pathogens. © 2015 International Association for Ecology and Health

Serosurvey for selected viral pathogens among sympatric species of the African large predator guild in northern Botswana

The recent increase in the creation of trans-boundary protected areas and wildlife corridors between them lend importance to information on pathogen prevalence and transmission among wildlife species that will become connected. One such initiative is the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA/TFCA) of which Botswana’s Okavango Delta constitute a major contribution in terms of wildlife and ecosystems. Between 2008 and 2011, we collected serum samples from 14 lions (Panthera leo), four leopards (P. pardus), 19 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), and six cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the Okavango. Samples were tested for antibodies against: canine distemper virus (CDV), feline panleukopenia virus, enteric coronavirus, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Evidence of exposure to all of these pathogens was found to varying degrees in at least one of the species sampled. High seroprevalence (> 90%) was only found for FHV-1 and FIV in lions. Only hyenas (26%, 5/19) were seropositive against CDV. Apart from one case, all individuals displayed physical conditions consistent with normal health for a minimum of 12 months following sampling. Our results emphasize the need for a comprehensive multi-species approach to disease monitoring and the development of coordinated management strategies for sub-populations likely to be connected in trans-boundary initiatives