Rusa deer microbiota: the importance of preliminary data analysis for meaningful diversity comparisons.

The microbiome is an important consideration for the conservation of endangered species. Studies provided evidence of the effect of behavior and habitat change on the microbiota of wild animals and reported various inferences. It indicates the complexity of factors influencing microbiota diversity, including incomplete sampling procedures. Data abnormality may arise due to the procedures warranting preliminary analysis, such as rarefaction, before downstream analysis. This present study demonstrated the effect of data rarefaction and aggregation on the comparison of wild rusa deer's gut microbial diversity. Eighty-five feces samples were collected from 11 deer populations inhabiting three national parks in Java and Bali islands. Using the Illumina Nova-Seq platform, fragments of 16s rRNA gene were sequenced, and raw data of 51,389 reads corresponding to 2 domains, 22 phyla, 45 classes, 83 orders, 182 families, and 460 genera of bacteria were obtained. Data rarefaction was applied at two different library sizes (minimum and fixed) and aggregation (11 populations into 3 research sites) to investigate its effect on the microbial diversity comparison. There are significant differences in alpha diversity between populations, but not research sites, at all library sizes of rarefaction. A similar finding is also found in beta diversity. Moreover, data rarefaction and aggregation result in different values of the diversity metrics. This present study shows that statistical analysis remains a substantial concern in microbiome studies applied to conservation biology. It suggests reporting a more detailed data normalization in microbiome studies as an inherent control of suboptimal sampling, particularly when involving feces.

Severe parasitism by Versteria mustelae (Gmelin, 1790) in the critically endangered European mink Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761) in Spain.

The riparian European mink (Mustela lutreola), currently surviving in only three unconnected sites in Europe, is now listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Habitat loss and degradation, anthropogenic mortality, interaction with the feral American mink (Neovison vison), and infectious diseases are among the main causes of its decline. In the Spanish Foral Community of Navarra, where the highest density of M. lutreola in its western population has been detected, different studies and conservation measures are ongoing, including health studies on European mink, and invasive American mink control. We report here a case of severe parasitism with progressive physiological exhaustion in an aged free-ranging European mink female, which was accidentally captured and subsequently died in a live-trap targeting American mink. Checking of the small intestine revealed the presence of 17 entangled Versteria mustelae worms. To our knowledge, this is the first description of hyperinfestation by tapeworms in this species.

First report of Filaria martis Gmelin, 1790 in the European mink, Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761).

The riparian European mink (Mustela lutreola), currently surviving in only three unconnected sites in Europe, is now listed as a critically endangered species according to the IUCN. Habitat loss and degradation, anthropic mortality, interaction with the feral American mink (Neovison vison), and infectious diseases are among the principal causes of its decline. Surveys of helminth parasites of this host that also include focus on subcutaneous potentially pathogenic helminths such as those belonging to the genus Filaria are very scarce. We report here the presence of specimens of Filaria martis in the subcutaneous connective tissues of three M. lutreola individuals from Spain. This is the first finding of a subcutaneous nematode in a representative of the genus Mustela. The report also enlarges the known range of the definitive hosts of this nematode. These worms were mainly located in the dorsal region of mink and more rarely in the knees, elbows, and hips. Skin sloughing was only observed in one M. lutreola with both septicaemia and an associated high burden of F. martis. Therefore, more attention should be paid to potentially pathogenic helminths when designing conservation programs dedicated to M. lutreola.

Next-Generation Sequencing on Insectivorous Bat Guano: An Accurate Tool to Identify Arthropod Viruses of Potential Agricultural Concern.

Viruses belonging to the Dicistroviridae family have attracted a great deal of attention from scientists owing to their negative impact on agricultural economics, as well as their recent identification as potential aetiological agents of febrile illness in human patients. On the other hand, some Dicistroviruses are also studied for their potential biopesticide properties. To date, Dicistrovirus characterized in African mainland remain scarce. By using High-Throughput Sequencing technology on insectivorous bat faeces (Hipposideros Caffer) sampled in a cave used by humans to collect bat guano (bat manure) as fertilizer in Zimbabwe, we characterized the full-length sequences of three Dicistrovirus belonging to the Cripavirus and Aparavirus genus: Big Sioux River Virus-Like (BSRV-Like), Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV), and Aphid Lethal Paralysis Virus (ALPV). Phylogenetic analyses of ORF-1 and ORF-2 genes showed a complex evolutionary history between BSRV and close viruses, as well as for the Aparavirus genus. Herewith, we provide the first evidence of the presence of Dicistrovirus in Zimbabwe and highlight the need to further document the impact of such viruses on crops, as well as in beekeeping activities in Zimbabwe which represent a crucial source of income for Zimbabwean people.