The Path to U.S. National Registration of a Toxic Bait for the Control of the Small Indian Mongoose

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata [syn. Herpestes auropunctatus]; mongoose) is a highly invasive species in its introduced range that negatively impacts ecosystems. Mongooses depredate native species, serve as a vector of disease posing a risk to human health, and cause sanitation issues in food processing facilities and public areas. Introduced for biocontrol in the late 1800s in Hawaiʻi and the Caribbean, mongooses currently have well-established populations across multiple islands in both island archipelagos and have invaded numerous other locations throughout the world. The concern of accidental introduction to mongoose-free islands, the difficulty in species detection, and the high cost and labor demand of trapping present the need for a novel control method. A target-specific and efficacious toxic bait can provide an additional tool to reduce mongoose abundance, to eradicate incipient populations, and for biocontrol at ports of entry. In this paper, we document the pathway to registration for a toxic bait for mongoose control with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A registered product must demonstrate a low risk to nontarget species, meet standards for human health and safety, and show no unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. There are no other comparable invasive small mammalian carnivores for which toxic baits have been developed and registered for bait station deployment in the United States

Development of a Novel Vertebrate Pesticide for the Invasive Small Indian Mongoose

Small Indian mongooses are detrimental introduced predators in the United States, where they depredate native species, serve as vector of disease, and threaten public safety. Due to the risk of accidental introduction to mongoose-free islands, high cost and limitations to trapping, and no national (Section 3) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered toxicants for mongoose control, there is a need for an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses for use in conservation areas and at points of entry in the United States. Over the last five years, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) worked to develop a toxic bait for mongooses for registration with the EPA. This paper outlines the development pathway to registration of a toxic bait for mongooses in the United States

Bleeding time prolongation and bleeding during infusion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in dogs: Potentiation by aspirin and reversal with aprotinin

AbstractThrombolytic therapy is associated with a bleeding tendency that may be exacerbated by adjunctive antiplatelet agents. The effect of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) alone or in combination with aspirin on serial measurements of template bleeding time, ex vivo platelet aggregation and coagulation factors and the frequency of bleeding was studied in dogs. During infusion of rt-PA (15, 30 or 60 μg/kg per min for 90 min), a dose-related increase in bleeding tine was observed.In a randomized blinded study of 25 dogs, the baseline bleeding time (mean ± SD) was 3.5 ± 1 min in control animals and 4 ± 2 min after oral aspirin (15 mg/kg body weight). Infusion of rt-PA (15 μg/kg per min for 90 min) prolonged the bleeding time to a maximum of 15 ± 12 min. In contrast, combined aspirin and rt-PA therapy produced an increase to >30 min during infusion, reverting to 13 ± 10 min within 2 h after cessation of infusion. Recurrent continuous bleeding from incision sites occurred in one of six dogs given aspirin alone, two of seven given rt-PA alone and all six dogs given both aspirin and rt-PA (p = 0.02). Bleeding time >9 min correlated significantly with bleeding frequency (p < 0.0001), with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 87%.Intravenous bolus injection of aprotinin (29,000 kallikrein inhibitor units/kg body weight) in six dogs given both rt-PA and aspirin produced a decrease in bleeding time from >30 min to 9.5 ± 9 min and resulted in cessation of bleeding. Thus, bleeding and bleeding time prolongation te this canine model are potentiated by a marked interactive effect of rt-PA and aspirin that is rapidly reversible. Template bleeding times may provide a useful quantitative index for monitoring the bleeding tendency associated with thrombolytic therapy

Development and Evaluation of Prototype Toxicant-Delivery Bait Stations for the Control of the Small Indian Mongoose

We conducted research to develop a safe and effective toxic bait to control the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), an invasive vertebrate predator impacting the survival of native species in Hawai‘i (United States) and in other parts of the world. A preserved fish-based bait product was found to be highly palatable to mongooses in cage trials and subsequent formulations with diphacinone (0.005%) showed promise as an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses. This product is intended for future use to control mongooses in conservation and urban areas, and as a biosecurity tool at ports of entry to address accidental introductions into mongoose-free areas. Anticipated delivery of this toxic bait is in tamper-proof bait stations. We designed three prototype bait stations constructed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) drainage pipes and evaluated their performance in enclosure trials with wild-caught mongooses and in field trials with free-ranging mongooses. A commercially available tamper-resistant rodenticide bait station was also used for comparison to the prototypes in our trials. The goal was to develop a bait station that is readily used by mongooses, allows for bait consumption in place, prevents removal of bait, and restricts access to non-target animals. We used a non-toxic formulation of the fish-based bait product and monitored bait station use, visitation rates, bait uptake, and spillage. All four bait station types were used by mongooses in the laboratory, and one PVC bait station design and the commercial bait station exhibited multiple mongoose visitations with minimal bait spillage in the field. We did not record any significant non-target species interactions with the bait during the field trials. The PVC bait station design and commercial bait station are approved methods of bait delivery in the subsequent field efficacy trials under an Experimental Use Permit for the upcoming registration of “Fish-based Bait for Mongooses” with the Environmental Protection Agency

Development of a Novel Vertebrate Pesticide for the Invasive Small Indian Mongoose

Small Indian mongooses are detrimental introduced predators in the United States, where they depredate native species, serve as vector of disease, and threaten public safety. Due to the risk of accidental introduction to mongoose-free islands, high cost and limitations to trapping, and no national (Section 3) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered toxicants for mongoose control, there is a need for an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses for use in conservation areas and at points of entry in the United States. Over the last five years, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) worked to develop a toxic bait for mongooses for registration with the EPA. This paper outlines the development pathway to registration of a toxic bait for mongooses in the United States

Short-term intravenous eptifibatide infusion combined with reduced dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator inhibits platelet recruitment at sites of coronary artery injury

AbstractObjectivesThis study was designed to determine in a dog model of coronary thrombosis whether short-term eptifibatide (Ep) combined with low-dose plasminogen activator (rt-PA) inhibits platelet recruitment at sites of endothelial damage after normalization of platelet function.BackgroundEp plus reduced-dose rt-PA has not previously been shown to render a recanalized coronary artery resistant to platelet recruitment after normalization of platelet function.MethodsInhibition of platelet recruitment was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in a canine model of left anterior descending (LAD) thrombosis. In phase I treatment groups were: 1) Ep (n = 6); 2) Ep + rt-PA (n = 6); 3) rt-PA (n = 6); and 4) placebo (n = 4). Coronary blood flow was monitored and LAD segments excised for SEM after 90-min infusion of study drug. In phase II, dogs were randomized to Ep alone (n = 5) or to Ep + rt-PA (n = 5). Coronary blood flow was monitored during and 120 min after cessation of drug when platelet function had returned to normal and LAD segments were excised.ResultsAll animals except placebo showed reflow. In phase I, SEM showed an absence of platelet aggregates with Ep alone and with Ep + rt-PA, but not with rt-PA alone. In phase II, SEM showed an intimal surface devoid of mural thrombus and platelet aggregates only in Ep + rt-PA treated arteries. Ep-alone treated arteries showed new platelet aggregates at sites of residual mural thrombus.ConclusionsShort-term infusion Ep plus low-dose rt-PA acutely neutralizes the ability of damaged endothelial surfaces to recruit new platelets by inhibiting platelet aggregation and eliminating residual mural thrombus