The prohibition of recreational hunting of wild ungulates in Spanish National Parks: Challenges and opportunities.

A new regulation has led to the prohibition of recreational hunting on estates located within Spanish National Parks (NPs). Before the ban, eleven NPs in Spain had already reported negative ecological consequences associated with high densities of wild ungulates. The new situation that has occurred after the ban signifies that policies with which to control populations of wild ungulates in NPs, most of which do not have a sufficient natural capacity to regulate populations, depend exclusively on the parks' authorities. The banning of recreational hunting implies a series of social, ecological, economic and logistic challenges. The control of wild ungulate populations in NPs requires: i) the legal basis for culling; ii) social acceptance as regards removing animals and the extractive procedures employed in NPs; iii) the long-term monitoring of wild ungulates and the damages that they cause, and iv) sufficient financial and human resources. A more integrated management and policy plan is, therefore, required, which should be supported by two pillars: i) the sustainability of natural resources and the conservation of functional environments, and ii) providing society with explanations regarding the need to manage wild ungulates. In order to bridge the potential gap between these key pillars, it is important to involve stakeholders in the decision-making processes concerning wild ungulate management. The forthcoming changes in Spanish NPs provide a promising opportunity to make a substantial improvement to wild ungulate management in these protected areas. This management approach could, moreover, serve as an example and be transferred to other protected spaces.

Permeability of artificial barriers (fences) for wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Mediterranean mixed landscapes.

BACKGROUND: Fences are one of the most widespread manmade features in nature, constituting an artificial limitation to the movement of wildlife. To date, their effects on wildlife behavior have been understudied but this knowledge is required to design effective management procedures. Using 21 GPS-monitored wild boar, we evaluated the permeability of different types of fences and described temporal patterns and spatial hotspots for crossing events. A fence's permeability was inferred by the crossing success, i.e., the number of times that animals crossed a barrier vs the number of times they did not cross. The vulnerability of fences at watercourses was explored by assessing whether the frequency of crossings was higher around watercourse intersections than expected by chance. RESULTS: Well-maintained big game proof fences were the most effective in reducing successful wild boar crossings; they were, on average, 30% more efficient than livestock type fences. Crossing success was higher for males than females and during the food shortage period than in the food abundance period. The frequency of crossings around watercourses was higher than expected by chance, especially in moderately and well-maintained big game proof type fences. CONCLUSION: While no fence type was 100% wild boar proof, well-maintained big game proof fences substantially constrained the movement of boar. However, they are vulnerable around watercourses. Managing the conflicts in which this species is involved, such as shared infections and agricultural damage, would require fences that are even more effective than the ones analyzed here, ideally in conjunction with other preventive actions. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization and management of interaction risks between livestock and wild ungulates on outdoor pig farms in Spain.

BACKGROUND: To control the transmission of relevant shared diseases, such as animal tuberculosis (TB) and African swine fever (ASF), it is essential to reduce the risk of interaction between livestock and wild ungulates. In Eastern and Central Europe, the current spread of ASF virus affecting wild boar and domestic pigs (especially those raised outdoors and/or in backyards) has devastated the pig sector in affected regions and is seriously threatening other exporting countries. Here, we evaluated the risk of wildlife-livestock interactions on 45 outdoor pig farms in Spain, the second largest pork producer in the EU and then proposed biosecurity-related actions. An integrated, systematic wildlife risk mitigation protocol based on interviews, questionnaires and field audits was developed and applied on each farm. RESULTS: Most of the interaction risk points were associated with water sources (84.2%; 701/832), mainly springs and ponds, which accounted for almost all the specific points with high or very high risk scores. The risk of interaction at feeding points (6.9%; 57/832) and those associated with facilities for livestock and/or game management (8.9%; 74/832) were rated as low and very low risk, respectively. Wild boar were present and hunted on 69% of the farms. Supplementary feeding for wild ungulate species (mainly wild boar) was provided on almost half (48.9%; 22/45) the surveyed farms. Risk mitigation actions were categorised to target water access, waterers, food, other livestock species, grazing, wildlife, and offal disposal. Of the total number of actions (n = 2016), 82.7% were identified as priority actions while 17.3% represented alternative options which were identified less cost-effective. On average, 37.1 (median: 32; range 14-113) action proposals per study farm were made and 2.0 (median: 1; range 0-4) per risk point. The mean estimated cost of implementing the proposed priority actions was 14,780 €/farm (25.7 €/hectare and 799.4 €/risk point). CONCLUSIONS: This study expands the knowledge of interaction risks between domestic pigs and wild ungulates in outdoor pig farming systems and highlights the importance of considering local risks and management practices when designing and prioritising adapted wildlife risk mitigation and biosecurity actions. This practical and feasible protocol developed for Mediterranean ecosystems is easily transferable to professionals and can be adapted to extensive (outdoor) production or epidemiological systems in other European regions.

Differences in wild boar spatial behaviour among land uses and management scenarios in Mediterranean ecosystems.

The ubiquitous wild boar is causing diverse and growing conflicts of socio-ecological and economic relevance worldwide. For that reason, knowledge of its spatial ecology is crucial to designing effective management programmes. But this knowledge is scarce in Mediterranean areas with mixed land uses. We describe the spatial ecology and habitat selection of 41 adult wild boar monitored using GPS collars and analyse the effects of sex and the period (food shortage period, hunting season and food abundance period) under different land uses (protected areas, mixed farms and fenced hunting estates). The spatial ecology of wild boar was characterised by marked temporality, mediated by sex and the land uses in the area. The activity (ACT), daily range (DR) and home range (HR) were higher for males than females, and in mixed farms versus fenced hunting estates, while the lowest values were obtained in protected areas. These effects were more marked for ACT and DR (movement) than HR. The selection of scrublands and avoidance of woodlands was observed where drive hunt events occur (mixed farms and fenced estates), but not in the protected areas. The differences in the requirements, reproductive behaviour and, interestingly, response to disturbance according to sex may explain this dissimilar behaviour. Disturbance originated higher movement rates and the selection of sheltering land cover as a refuge during the hunting season. This information is useful for designing species monitoring and management programmes; including both preventive and reactive actions in response to events such as outbreaks of African swine fever and agricultural damage produced by wild boar in Europe.

The spatial ecology of red deer under different land use and management scenarios: Protected areas, mixed farms and fenced hunting estates.

The knowledge regarding the spatial ecology of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in different environments is crucial if effective management actions are to be designed. However, this knowledge continues to be scarce in the complex contexts of mixed land use and management circumstances. This study describes the spatial ecology of red deer monitored using GPS collars in Mediterranean ecosystems of South-Central Spain, considering the effect of individual and seasonal (food shortage period, rut, hunting season and food abundance period) factors on different land use and management scenarios, namely protected areas, mixed farms and fenced hunting estates. Our results showed less activity (ACT), a shorter daily range (DR) and a smaller home range (HR) during the food shortage period: ACT: 0.38 ± (SD) 0.12; DR: 3010.9 ± 727.3 m; and weekly HR: 122.2 ± 59.6 ha. With regard to land use, individuals were less ACT and had a smaller DR on fenced hunting estates (ACT: 0.24 ± 0.12; DR: 1946.3 ± 706.7 m) than in protected areas (ACT: 0.59 ± 0.12; DR: 4071.4 ± 1068.2 m) or on mixed farms (ACT: 0.57 ± 0.29; DR: 5431.1 ± 1939.5 m) in all the periods studied. Red deer selected land cover with forage and shelter when foraging and resting, respectively. When drive hunt events occurred (mixed farms and fenced hunting estates), the deer were more prone to select safer habitats (scrublands) and avoid open areas (crops or grasslands) than were their counterparts in protected areas. The patterns observed can be explained by sexual and seasonal differences as regards requirements, the response to disturbances and, interestingly, population management. Our results provide useful information with which to design scientifically-based species adaptive management in response to relevant and timely situations in Europe, such as the potential transmission of shared infections, vehicle collisions, and damage to crops and ecosystems.

The wildlife-livestock interface on extensive free-ranging pig farms in central Spain during the "montanera" period.

The effective management of shared pathogens between wild ungulates and livestock requires the understanding of the processes of interaction between them. In this work, we studied the interspecific frequency of interaction (ifreq) and its spatiotemporal pattern between wild and domestic ungulates that coexist in free-ranging farms. For this purpose, 6 red deer, 6 wild boar, 8 Iberian pigs and 3 cattle were monitored using GPS devices during the "montanera" period (the period in which Iberian pigs are maintained in extensive conditions to feed on acorn). The ifreq was quantified for two spatiotemporal windows: 30 m - 10 min, for inferring potential direct interactions (short window), and 30 m - 12 days for indirect interactions (large window). Secondly, the variation in the ifreq was modelled with regard to 2 temporal (time of the day and week of the year) and 4 environmental factors (distance to water, distance to vegetation cover, Quercus density and distance to feeding points). The interactions at the short window were scarce (N = 13); however, they were very frequent at the large one (N = 37,429), with the red deer as the species with the greatest involvement in the interactions. Models showed that the time of the day and distance to water were the variables that best predicted the ifreq and they were conditioned by differences in the activity pattern of the targeted species. Food resource availability also predicted the ifreq, especially at the short window and between wild species. The results presented here highlight the role that wild ungulates may play in the transmission of pathogens to extensive livestock in general and pigs in particular and show the epidemiological risk of certain areas, periods of time and management practices (for wildlife and livestock) as well as providing useful information in the prevention of the transmission of shared pathogens.

Tratamiento de la colecistitis aguda en el anciano: cirugía urgente frente a terapia médica y cirugía diferida / Treatment of acute Cholecystitis in the elderly: urgent surgery versus medical therapy and surgery delay

INTRODUCCIÓN. La colecistitis aguda (CA) en el anciano es una entidad clínica frecuente, caracterizada por la elevada tasa de complicaciones y mortalidad. La elección entre cirugía urgente o tratamiento conservador más cirugía diferida es un motivo de controversia. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS. Estudio de una cohorte retrospectiva sobre pacientes con edad igual o superior a 70 años tratados de colecistitis aguda entre 2003 y 2009. Se analizaron parámetros epidemiológicos, clínicos, diagnósticos, quirúrgicos y de coste-efectividad. Método estadístico: utilizamos los test Chi-2, ôtõ de Student y ANOVA. El nivel de significación se estableció paravalores p < 0.05. RESULTADOS. Durante los 6 años estudiados fueron tratados 173 episodios de CA en 147pacientes (52 por ciento mujeres), con una edad media de 80.6 años (máximo 101). En 103 episodios (77 pacientes) se adoptó tratamiento médico de los que 31 se operaron de forma electiva conun 100 por ciento de abordajes laparoscópicos, baja tasa de conversión (6.4 por ciento) y morbilidad (9.6 por ciento) sin registrarse mortalidad. Otros 85 pacientes fueron intervenidos de urgencia con un 78.5 por ciento de abordajes laparoscópicos, tasa de conversión del 19.7 por ciento, morbilidad 53 por ciento y mortalidad 3.5 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES. Considerando todas las variables la cirugía urgente y el tratamiento médico seguido de colecistectomía electiva obtienen resultados similares, aunque los enfermos sometidos a colecistectomía laparoscópica precoz fueron los que mejor evolucionaron.

INTRODUCTION. Acute cholecystitis in elderly patients is a frequent disease characterized by a high mortality rate and serious complications. The choice between emergency surgery or conservative therapy in addition to delayed surgery is a controversial issue. PATIENTS AND METHODS. Retrospective cohort study over patients aged 70 years or older undergoing acute cholecystitis treatment between 2003 and 2009. Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, surgical and cost effectiveness parameters were analysed. Statistical method: Weuse Chi squared test, Student´s t test and ANOVA. A level of p < 0.05 was accepted as significant. RESULTS. During the six-year period studied 173 episodes of acute cholecystitis were treated on 147 patients (52 percent females), with an average age of 80.6 years (maximum 101). In 103 episodes(77 patients) medical treatment was taken, 31 of them undergone elective surgery by means of 100 percent laparoscopic approach, 6,4 percent conversion rate, 9,6 percent morbidity in absence of mortality. In other 85 patients emergency surgery was performed, 78.5 percent of them through laparoscopy approach with a conversion rate of 19.7 percent , 53 percent morbidity and 3,5 percent mortality. Conclusions. Taking into account all variables, emergency surgery and medical treatment followed by elective cholecistectomy get similar outcomes, making better progress those who underwent early laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

[Puerperal peritonitis due to vernix caseosa]. / Peritonitis puerperal por vernix caseosa.

Vernix caseosa peritonitis (VCP) is a complication caused by inflammatory response to amniotic fluid spilled into the maternal peritoneal cavity during a cesarean section.The physiopathology mechanisms are still incompletely understood. However, keratina granulomas could be induced by the squamous cells inside the vernix.In spite of its infrequent condition this entity should be included in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain and acute abdomen in the post-partum after cesarean section.In this article, we present a case of VCP, and we discuss the clinical and histopathologic findings that allow its prompt recognition as well as to guide us towards the correct surgical and therapeutic technique.

[Treatment of acute cholecystitis in the elderly: urgent surgery versus medical therapy and surgery delay]. / Tratamiento de la Colecistitis Aguda en en el Anciano: Cirugía Urgente frente a Terapia Médica y Cirugía Diferida.

INTRODUCTION: Acute cholecystitis in elderly patients is a frequent disease characterized by a high mortality rate and serious complications. The choice between emergency surgery or conservative therapy in addition to delayed surgery is a controversial issue. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study over patients aged 70 years or older undergoing acute cholecystitis treatment between 2003 and 2009. Epidemiological, clinical,diagnostic, surgical and cost-effectiveness parameters were analysed. STATISTICAL METHOD: We use Chi squared test, Student's t test and ANOVA. A level of p < 0.05 was accepted as significant. RESULTS: During the six-year period studied 173 episodes of acute cholecystitis were treated on 147 patients (52% females), with an average age of 80.6 years (maximum 101). In 103 episodes (77 patients) medical treatment was taken, 31 of them undergone elective surgery by means of 100% laparoscopic approach, 6,4% conversion rate, 9,6% morbidity in absence of mortality. In other 85 patients emergency surgery was performed, 78.5% of them through laparoscopy approach with a conversion rate of 19.7%, 53% morbidity and 3,5% mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account all variables, emergency surgery and medical treatment followed by elective cholecistectomy get similar outcomes, making better progress those who underwent early laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Colecistectomía laparoscópica en octogenarios / Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in octogenarians

Introducción. En el presente artículo analizamos los resultados y complicaciones de la colecistectomía laparoscópica en pacientes octogenarios. El objetivo es establecer si la cirugía endoscópica, programada o urgente, es el tratamiento electivo de la colelitiasis en edades extremas.Materiales y métodos. Realizamos un estudio retrospectivo sobre pacientes con edad igual o superior a 80 años, sometidos a una colecistectomía laparoscópica entre enero de 2002 y junio de 2008. Los principales parámetros analizados fueron: epidemiología, forma de presentación, valoración del estado general y del riesgo anestésico, tasa de conversión, morbilidad y estancia hospitalaria.Resultados. En el periodo estudiado se intervinieron 75 pacientes, 46 mujeres (61 porciento) y 29 hombres con una edad media de 84,1 años (máxima, 94). La cirugía fue programada en 48 casos (64 porciento) y urgente en 27. La tasa de conversión a colecistectomía abierta fue de 9,3 porciento y, la estancia hospitalaria media, de 3,8 días. Dos enfermos precisaron de una reintervención y se contabilizaron dos decesos.Conclusiones. La colecistectomía laparoscópica es la técnica de elección para el tratamiento de la colelitiasis sintomática en octogenarios. La colecistitis aguda del anciano debe ser tratada mediante abordaje laparoscópico, salvo contraindicación, preferentemente antes de aparezcan complicaciones.

[Mirizzi syndrome associated with complicated cholelitiasis in the elderly patient. Diagnosis and laparoscopic treatment]. / Síndrome de Mirizzi asociado a la Colelitiasis complicada del anciano: diagnóstico y tratamiento laparoscopio.

INTRODUCTION: The Mirizzi Syndrome (MS) is a rare variation of cholelitiasis, in which a calculus impacted in the Hartmann Pouch compresses the biliary pathway triggering an obstructive jaundice, frequently followed by inflammatory phenomenon and a number of complications. OBJECTIVE: To establish the frequency of the Mirizzi Syndrome in complicated cholelitiasis in the elderly patient and analyze the most suitable diagnosis and treatment options. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cases of Mirizzi Syndromes in symptomatic inflammatory biliary lithiasis were selected in a five-year period among patients older than 70, who had undergone urgent operation. Epidemiology, private hospital, diagnosis, operating variables, morbility and hospitalization were analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve (12) patients with Mirizzi Syndrome were detected, with an average age of 77.2 in 197 cases of complicated cholelitiasis. A laparoscopic examination was made in 67% of the cases, with a conversion rate of 50%. The most frequent finding was the biliary extrinsic compression without Csendes-I fistula (58%). The postsurgical morbility was of 58%, including two deaths (17%) and the medium-term postoperative hospital stay was of 9.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: This research emphasizes the importance of the Mirizzi Syndrome (MS) in the symptomatic cholelitiasis in geriatric patients. This syndrome usually acts like a biliar surgical emergency and the early diagnosis of an elderly patient with jaundice is the key that enables immediate biliary decompression through a cholecystectomy. Management choices are in debate; however, due to its advantages in cases of elderly patients, a laparoscopic treatment is proposed, unless strictly contraindicated.

Tratamiento de la sepsis abdominal sin el uso de drenaje peritoneal / Treatment of abdominal sepsis without peritoneal drainage

Objetivo: Informar la experiencia de los autores en el manejo de la sepsis abdominal de origen gastrointestinal, sin el uso de drenaje peritoneal. Diseño: Estudio clínico, prospectivo, observacional y comparativo. El análisis estadístico fue realizado con la chi cuadrada. Sede: Hospital General Regional 25 del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social en la Ciudad de México, D.F. Pacientes: Se incluyeron 40 pacientes con sepsis abdominal que fueron divididos en dos grupos, 20 se manejaron con drenaje peritoneal y 20 sin el. Se dividieron en tres fases de acuerdo a la gravedad de la sepsis y se incluyeron en el estudio sólo los pacientes en fase I y II. Se analizaron las siguientes variables; edad, sexo, curso clínico, origen de la sepsis y operación realizada. Resultados: De los 20 pacientes sin drenaje, 12 fueron hombres y 8 mujeres, en 18 casos la sepsis fue secundaria a apendicitis aguda, en 1 por herida penetratante de abdomen y en uno más por perforación colónica secundaria a colitis pseudomenbranosa. Quince de estos casos se encontraban en la fase I de la sepsis y 5 en la fase II, ninguno de estos pacientes presentó complicaciones postoperatorias. De los otros 20 pacientes con drenaje abdominal, 18 fueron del sexo masculino y 2 del femenino, en 12 de los pacientes el origen de la sepsis fue apendicitis aguda, en 4 más por herida penetrante de abdomen, en 2 por úlcera péptica perforada, uno por vólvulos del ciego y uno por dehiscencia de anastomosis. Ocho de estos paciente presentaron complicaciones postoperatorias: infección de herida quirúrgica, sepsis residual, eventración, fístula entérica, fascitis necrotizante, etcétera. Conclusión: En este estudio resultó demostrativo que el uso de drenajes incrementa la morbilidad en la sepsis abdominal