HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF CAPTIVE BEARDED VULTURES (GYPAETUS BARBATUS) IN CATALONIA (SPAIN).

Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) populations are declining worldwide primarily due to anthropogenic factors. A captive breeding program has been established in Spain, a country with one of the largest free-living populations in Europe, to further enhance the conservation efforts of this emblematic species. However, captive vulture populations can be exposed to different risks through food, such as drug residues and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. Health surveillance of species involved in captive breeding programs is important to face introduction of healthy animals in situ and to obtain baseline clinical data. The objective of this study was to assess the general health status of bearded vultures held in captivity in Catalonia (northeastern Spain) by carrying out hematologic, biochemical, toxicologic, and bacteriologic analyses. A total of 16 bearded vultures were sampled; the data obtained from one vulture, with a chronic tibiotarsal fracture, were excluded from the statistical analysis. Hematologic and biochemical parameters of the bearded vultures were mostly within the range of standard values as stated in previous studies. Basal feather and serum corticosterone levels were analyzed and described for the first time in this species. A total of 15 Escherichia coli isolates were obtained that were resistant to fluoroquinolones (80%), tetracycline (60%), trimethoprim and ampicillin (40%), sulfamethoxazole (33%), and colistin (20%), with 40% of them being multidrug resistant. Three of 15 isolates were carriers of the mcr-1 gene. Only the injured bird previously treated with enrofloxacin was positive for fluoroquinolone residues. Periodic monitoring for the presence of AMR bacteria would be recommended in captive breeding programs as a preventive action to establish future therapies.

Molecular Detection and Epidemiology of Potentially Zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) from Eastern Spain.

The protozoans Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are common causes of gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. While both are commonly documented in domestic animals, few studies have analysed their presence in wildlife. To assess the prevalence of both parasites in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Valencian Community (eastern Spain), 498 wild boar faecal samples were collected from 2018 to 2022. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected by performing a nested PCR targeting a 578 bp sequence of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rRNA), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. For G. duodenalis, a qPCR amplifying a fragment of 62 bp from the SSU rRNA was employed. Positive samples were genotyped for glutamate dehydrogenase and ß-giardin genes. Different epidemiological factors were considered potential modulating variables in the transmission of both parasites. G. duodenalis prevalence was 1.20%, while Cryptosporidium spp. prevalence reached 21.7%. Coinfection was observed in 0.2%. Genotyping of G. duodenalis isolates only detected genotype E. Two species of Cryptosporidium spp. were identified: Cryptosporidium scrofarum and Cryptosporidium suis. The results of this study demonstrate that the exposure to Cryptosporidium spp. in wild boars is high, particularly among young individuals belonging to the Typical Mediterranean climate. Moreover, the probability of infection is dependent on both the season and the density of wild boars. On the other side, exposure to G. duodenalis seems scarce and is influenced, in turn, by the climate. Both Cryptosporidium species detected in the present study have been reported in humans. Due to wild boar increasing in number and their colonisation of urban and peri-urban areas, this could represent an inherent health risk for the human population.

Impact of exposure to urban air pollution on grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) lung health.

The increased rate of global urbanisation has recently exacerbated the significant public health problem of traffic related air pollution. Despite the known significant impact on human health, little is known about the effects of air pollution on wildlife health. The lung is the primary target organ for the effects of exposure to air pollution, leading to lung inflammation, altering the lung epigenome, culminating in respiratory disease. In this study, we aimed to assess lung health and DNA methylation profiles in Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) populations living across an urban-rural air pollution gradient. Squirrel lung health was assessed in four populations situated across the most polluted inner-city boroughs to the less polluted edges of Greater London. We also assessed lung DNA methylation across three London sites and a further two rural sites in Sussex and North Wales. Lung and tracheal diseases were present in 28% and 13% of the squirrels respectively. Specifically, focal inflammation (13%), focal macrophages with vacuolated cytoplasm (3%) and endogenous lipid pneumonia (3%). There was no significant difference in prevalence of lung, tracheal diseases, anthracosis (carbon presence) or lung DNA methylation levels between urban sites and urban and rural sites respectively or NO2 levels. BALT (Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue) was significantly smaller in the site with highest NO2 and contained the highest carbon loading compared to sites with lower NO2, however differences in carbon loading in between sites were not significant. High pollution site individuals also had significantly higher numbers of alveolar macrophages which suggests that grey squirrels are exposed to and respond to traffic-related air pollution and further research is needed to understand the impact of traffic-related air pollutants on wildlife health.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Pasteurellaceae Isolates from Pyrenean Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) and Domestic Sheep in an Alpine Ecosystem.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has spread worldwide due to the inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs in human and veterinary medicine, becoming a public health problem. However, little is known about its occurrence and maintenance in wild animals, and very few studies have been carried out in ecosystems subjected to low human pressure. In our study, nasal and lung swabs were collected from hunted Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), and nasal swabs from sympatric domestic sheep were also collected. The swabs were cultured in agar plates to obtain bacterial isolates from the Pasteurellaceae family. The presence of AMR was assessed in a total of 28 Pasteurellaceae isolates from 45 Pyrenean chamois, and 9 isolates from sympatric domestic sheep found in the National Hunting Reserve of Freser-Setcases (Northeastern Pyrenees, Spain). The isolates belonged to one of the following three species: Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi. Some P. multocida and M. haemolytica isolates tested positive for AMR. The statistical analysis revealed no differences between the AMR levels from chamois and domestic sheep isolates. However, one P. multocida of chamois origin presented resistance to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, which are antibiotics of critical importance for human health. Further studies are required to elucidate potential routes of dissemination of AMR genes in natural environments and assess any significant persistence in wildlife to design risk mitigation actions.

Assessing methods to live-capture wild boars (Sus scrofa) in urban and peri-urban environments.

BACKGROUND: Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations are increasing worldwide and invading urban areas. Live-capture can improve the management of this challenge, maximising efficiency, allowing scientific studies and potentially improving animal welfare. This study assesses teleanaesthesia, drop-net, corral trap and cage trap to live-capture wild boar in urban and peri-urban areas, evaluating efficiency and animal stress through haematology and serum biochemistry. METHODS: From 2012 to 2018, 655 wild boars were captured in 279 operations (drop-net=17, teleanaesthesia=186, cage trap=66 and corral trap=10) in the urban and peri-urban areas of Barcelona (Spain). Haematological and serum biochemical variables were determined in 145 wild boars (42 drop-netted, 41 teleanaesthetised, 38 cage-trapped and 24 corral-trapped). RESULTS: Performance (wild boars captured per operation) was highest for drop-net, followed by corral and cage traps, and finally teleanaesthesia. The three physical capture methods were more stressful than teleanaesthesia, causing a more intense physiological reaction, muscular damage, renal function impairment and homeostasis adaption. Stress response was predominantly adrenergic for drop-net and cortisol-induced for cage and corral traps. CONCLUSION: Teleanaesthesia is the choice in reactive urban situations thanks to its adaptability; drop-net effectively targets wild boars in peri-urban environments; cage and corral traps are useful as long-term methods in specific areas.