Distantly Related Rotaviruses in Common Shrews, Germany, 2004-2014.

We screened samples from common shrews (Sorex araneus) collected in Germany during 2004-2014 and identified 3 genetically divergent rotaviruses. Virus protein 6 sequence similarities to prototype rotaviruses were low (64.5% rotavirus A, 50.1% rotavirus C [tentative species K], 48.2% rotavirus H [tentative species L]). Shrew-associated rotaviruses might have zoonotic potential.

Lethal Encephalitis in Seals with Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection, China, 2017.

We isolated Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) from brain samples of 2 seals with lethal encephalitis at Weihai Aquarium, Weihai, China, in 2017. We confirmed our findings by immunohistochemical staining and electron microscopy. Phylogenetic analysis showed this virus was genotype I. Our findings suggest that JEV might disseminate though infected zoo animals.

Anthrax Epizootic in Wildlife, Bwabwata National Park, Namibia, 2017.

In late September 2017, Bwabwata National Park in Namibia experienced a sudden die-off of hippopotamuses and Cape buffalo. A multiorganizational response was initiated, involving several ministries within Namibia and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rapid interventions resulted in zero human or livestock cases associated with this epizootic.

Mass Die-Off of Saiga Antelopes, Kazakhstan, 2015.

In 2015, a mass die-off of ≈200,000 saiga antelopes in central Kazakhstan was caused by hemorrhagic septicemia attributable to the bacterium Pasteurella multocida serotype B. Previous analyses have indicated that environmental triggers associated with weather conditions, specifically air moisture and temperature in the region of the saiga antelope calving during the 10-day period running up to the event, were critical to the proliferation of latent bacteria and were comparable to conditions accompanying historically similar die-offs in the same areas. We investigated whether additional viral or bacterial pathogens could be detected in samples from affected animals using 3 different high-throughput sequencing approaches. We did not identify pathogens associated with commensal bacterial opportunisms in blood, kidney, or lung samples and thus concluded that P. multocida serotype B was the primary cause of the disease.

West Nile Virus in Wildlife and Nonequine Domestic Animals, South Africa, 2010-2018.

West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 is associated with neurologic disease in horses and humans in South Africa. Surveillance in wildlife and nonequine domestic species during 2010-2018 identified WNV in 11 (1.8%) of 608 animals with severe neurologic and fatal infections, highlighting susceptible hosts and risk for WNV epizootics in Africa.

Tamdy Virus in Ixodid Ticks Infesting Bactrian Camels, Xinjiang, China, 2018.

We isolated Tamdy virus (TAMV; strain XJ01/TAMV/China/2018) from Hyalomma asiaticum ticks infesting Bactrian camels in Xinjiang, China, in 2018. The genome of the strain showed high nucleotide similarity with previously described TAMV strains from Asia. Our study highlights the potential threat of TAMV to public health in China.

Highly Pathogenic Swine Getah Virus in Blue Foxes, Eastern China, 2017.

We isolated Getah virus from infected foxes in Shandong Province, eastern China. We sequenced the complete Getah virus genome, and phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship with a highly pathogenic swine epidemic strain in China. Epidemiologic investigation showed that pigs might play a pivotal role in disease transmission to foxes.

Pathogenic Leptospira Species in Insectivorous Bats, China, 2015.

PCR amplification of the rrs2 gene indicated that 50% (62/124) of insectivorous bats from eastern China were infected with Leptospira borgpetersenii, L. kirschneri, and several potentially new Leptospira species. Multilocus sequence typing defined 3 novel sequence types in L. kirschneri, suggesting that bats are major carriers of Leptospira.

Survey of Ebola Viruses in Frugivorous and Insectivorous Bats in Guinea, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2015-2017.

To clarify the role of bats in the ecology of Ebola viruses, we assessed the prevalence of Ebola virus antibodies in a large-scale sample of bats collected during 2015-2017 from countries in Africa that have had previous Ebola outbreaks (Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo) or are at high risk for outbreaks (Cameroon). We analyzed 4,022 blood samples of bats from >12 frugivorous and 27 insectivorous species; 2-37 (0.05%-0.92%) bats were seropositive for Zaire and 0-30 (0%-0.75%) bats for Sudan Ebola viruses. We observed Ebola virus antibodies in 1 insectivorous bat genus and 6 frugivorous bat species. Certain bat species widespread across Africa had serologic evidence of Zaire and Sudan Ebola viruses. No viral RNA was detected in the subset of samples tested (n = 665). Ongoing surveillance of bats and other potential animal reservoirs are required to predict and prepare for future outbreaks.

A brief history of biological weapons programmes and the use of animal pathogens as biological warfare agents.

Any one of thousands of different microorganisms that affect the health and safety of the world's populations of humans, animals and plants could potentially be weaponised; that is undergo research and development whose aim is to create species or strains that could serve as deadly payloads for spray systems, bombs, rockets or missiles. However, many historical studies of warfare have made it clear that only a few species of bacteria and viruses have been weaponised. As is made clear in this paper, of the pathogens weaponised in the 20th century by Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the United States and Iraq, most were zoonotic pathogens. If a nation or terrorist group were to acquire biological weapons in the future, it is most likely that their payload would be a zoonotic pathogen.

Chacun des milliers de microorganismes différents qui affectent la santé et la sécurité des populations humaines, animales et végétales de la planète peut être transformé en arme biologique, c'est-à-dire faire l'objet de procédures de recherche et développement visant à mettre au point des espèces ou souches destinées à charger des systèmes d'épandage, des bombes, des roquettes ou des missiles à puissance létale. Néanmoins, de nombreuses études historiques sur les armements démontrent que le nombre de bactéries et de virus effectivement militarisés est limité. L'auteur explique que la plupart des agents pathogènes militarisés au cours du xxe siècle par le Japon, l'Union des Républiques soviétiques socialistes (URSS), les États-Unis et l'Irak étaient de nature zoonotique. Si une nation ou un groupe terroriste devait acquérir des armes biologiques à l'avenir, la charge utilisée serait probablement constituée d'agents pathogènes zoonotiques.

En potencia, cualquiera de los miles de microorganismos distintos que afectan a la salud y seguridad de las poblaciones mundiales de humanos, animales o plantas puede ser convertido en un arma, o dicho de otro modo: servir de objeto de investigación y experimentación con el propósito de crear especies o cepas que puedan constituir la carga mortífera de sistemas de vaporización, bombas, cohetes o misiles. Con todo, numerosos estudios de historia de la guerra dejan patente que solo unas pocas especies de virus y bacterias han sido efectivamente transformadas en armas. Como deja claro el autor, la mayoría de los patógenos que en el siglo xx convirtieron en arma el Japón, la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (URSS), los Estados Unidos y el Iraq eran zoonóticos. Si en el futuro una nación o un grupo terrorista hubiera de procurarse armas biológicas, lo más probable es que estas estuvieran cargadas con un patógeno zoonótico.

Making Space for Red Tide: Discolored Water and the Early Twentieth Century Bayscape of Japanese Pearl Cultivation.

"Red tide" has become a familiar shorthand for unusual changes in the color of ocean waters. It is intimately related both to blooms of creatures like dinoflagellates and to the devastating effects they pose to coastal fisheries. This essay tracks the early twentieth century emergence of discolored water as an aquacultural problem, known in Japan as akashio, and its trans-oceanic transformation into the terms and practices of "red tide" in the post-World War II United States. For Japan's "Pearl King" Mikimoto Kokichi and his contacts in diverse marine scientific communities, the years-long cycle of guarding and cultivating a pearl oyster went together with the ascription of moral qualities to tiny creatures that posed a threat to farmed bayscapes of pearl monoculture. As akashio, discolored water went from curiosity to marine livestock pest, one that at times left dead pearl oysters in its wake. Red tide arose from the sustained study of the mechanisms by which changes in the biological and chemical composition of seawater might become deadly to exclusively-claimed shellfish along Japanese coastlines, but came to be seen as a way to understand aquatic manifestations of harm in other parts of the littoral world.

Population Cycles, Disease, and Networks of Ecological Knowledge.

Wildlife populations in the northern reaches of the globe have long been observed to fluctuate or cycle periodically, with dramatic increases followed by catastrophic crashes. Focusing on the early work of Charles S. Elton, this article analyzes how investigations into population cycles shaped the development of Anglo-American animal ecology during the 1920s-1930s. Population cycling revealed patterns that challenged ideas about the "balance" of nature; stimulated efforts to quantify population data; and brought animal ecology into conversation with intellectual debates about natural selection. Elton used the problem of understanding wildlife population cycles to explore a central tension in ecological thought: the relative influences of local conditions (food supply, predation) and universal forces (such as climate change and natural selection) in regulating wild animal populations. He also sought patronage and built research practices and the influential Bureau of Animal Population around questions of population regulation during the 1930s. Focusing on disease as a local population regulator that could interact with global climatic influences, Elton facilitated an interdisciplinary and population-based approach in early animal ecology. Elton created a network of epidemiologists, conservationists, pathologists and mathematicians, who contributed to population cycle research. I argue that, although these people often remained peripheral to ecology, their ideas shaped the young discipline. Particularly important were the concepts of abundance, density, and disease; and the interactions between these factors and natural selection. However, Elton's reliance on density dependence unwittingly helped set up conditions conducive to the development of controversies in animal ecology in later years. While ecologists did not come to consensus on the ultimate causes of population cycles, this phenomenon was an important early catalyst for the development of theory and practice in animal ecology.

[Statistics of the activities of a veterinarian from the Canton of Neuchâtel from the 19th century]. / Die Behandlungsstatistik eines Neuenburger-Tierarztes aus dem 19. Jahrhundert.

INTRODUCTION: Abraham Buehler wrote a statistical sketch of his activity as a practitioner during the years 1855 to 1861 in "Les Verrières" in the Swiss Canton of Neuchâtel. He included charts relating to diseases observed in different species such as horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs and dogs. He described the evolution of the foot and mouth epidemic in the region during the years 1855 and 1856. Abraham Buehler stated that with this work he aimed to encourage his colleagues to also collect data.

Abraham Buehler a entrepris de rédiger une esquisse statistique de son activité de praticien pendant les années 1855 à 1861 aux Verrières (Neuchâtel). Il établit des tableaux indiquant les maladies observées chez les différentes espèces, soit maladies de la race équine, de la race bovine, des chèvres et des moutons, des porcs et des chiens. Il décrit l'évolution d'une épidémie de fièvre aphteuse dans la région pendant les années 1855 et 1856. Abraham Buehler a réalisé ce travail dans le but, dit-il, d'inciter ses confrères à en faire autant.

Hepatitis E Virus in 3 Types of Laboratory Animals, China, 2012-2015.

We found seroprevalences for hepatitis E virus (HEV) of 7.5%, 18.5%, and 83.3% in specific pathogen-free (SPF) laboratory rabbits, monkeys, and pigs, respectively, in China. HEV RNA was detected in 4.8% of SPF rabbits, and 11 rabbits had latent infections. Screening for HEV in SPF animals before relevant experiments are conducted is recommended.

Pastoralism and wildlife: historical and current perspectives in the East African rangelands of Kenya and Tanzania.

The relationship between pastoralists, their livestock, wildlife and the rangelands of East Africa is multi-directional, complex and long-standing. The tumultuous events of the past century, however, have rewritten the nature of this relationship, reshaping the landscapes that were created, and relied upon, by both pastoralists and wildlife. Presently, much of the interaction between wildlife and pastoralists takes place in and around protected areas, the most contentious occurring in pastoral lands surrounding national parks. In conservation terminology these areas are called buffer zones. In the past century buffer zones have been shaped by, and contributed to, restrictive conservation policies, expropriation of land, efforts to include communities in conservation, both positive and negative wildlife/livestock interactions, and political tensions. In this review paper, the authors outline the history that shaped the current relationship between pastoralists, livestock and wildlife in buffer zones in East Africa and highlight some of the broader issues that pastoralists (and pastoralism as an effective livelihood strategy) now face. Finally, they consider some of the sustainable and equitable practices that could be implemented to improve livelihoods and benefit wildlife and pastoralism alike.

Les relations entre les pasteurs, leur bétail, la faune sauvage et les prairies d'Afrique de l'Est sont pluridimensionnelles, complexes et anciennes. Néanmoins, les bouleversements survenus au cours du 20e siècle ont redéfini ces relations et redessiné des paysages qui avaient été durablement façonnés à la fois par les pasteurs et par la faune sauvage. Actuellement, la plupart des interactions entre la faune sauvage et les pasteurs ont lieu à l'intérieur et à proximité de zones protégées, les plus conflictuelles de ces interactions survenant dans les prairies qui entourent les parcs nationaux. Dans la terminologie de la protection de la nature, ces zones sont qualifiées de « zones tampons ¼. Au siècle dernier, les zones tampons ont été tracées sous l'effet de facteurs qu'elles ont à leur tour contribué à renforcer : mesures restrictives de conservation, expropriation des terres, tentatives de réformes visant à intégrer les communautés locales dans les processus de conservation, interactions positives et négatives entre les animaux sauvages et le bétail, tensions politiques. Les auteurs apportent un éclairage historique afin d'expliquer les relations entre les pasteurs, le bétail et les animaux sauvages dans les zones tampons d'Afrique de l'Est et mettent en avant les problématiques plus larges auxquelles les pasteurs (et le pastoralisme en tant que stratégie de survie économique) sont actuellement confrontés. Enfin, ils proposent quelques solutions pour l'avenir, en lien avec des pratiques durables et équitables permettant d'améliorer les revenus des pasteurs afin de protéger la faune sauvage et de pérenniser le pastoralisme.

Las comunidades pastorales, su ganado, la fauna salvaje y los pastizales de África oriental mantienen entre sí una arraigada relación, compleja y poliédrica. Los tumultuosos acontecimientos del siglo pasado, sin embargo, redefinieron la naturaleza de esta relación y remodelaron los paisajes que los pastores y la fauna salvaje habían ido configurando y de los cuales dependían. A día de hoy el grueso de las interacciones entre la fauna salvaje y los pastores se produce en el interior o las inmediaciones de zonas protegidas: la cuestión resulta especialmente espinosa en las tierras de pastoreo que circundan los parques nacionales. En el léxico de la protección de la naturaleza estos espacios se denominan «zonas tampón¼. En el curso del pasado siglo se fueron delimitando zonas tampón que eran a la vez resultantes y generatrices de políticas restrictivas de protección, expropiaciones de tierras, iniciativas de reforma para incluir a las comunidades en las tareas de protección, interacciones (positivas o negativas) entre el ganado y la fauna salvaje y tensiones políticas. Tras repasar el devenir histórico que forjó la actual relación entre pastores, ganado y fauna salvaje en las zonas tampón de África oriental, los autores se detienen en algunos de los problemas de mayor calado a los que se enfrentan ahora las sociedades pastorales (y el pastoreo como medio de vida eficaz). Por último, también examinan posibles fórmulas para alumbrar usos sostenibles y equitativos que mejoren los medios de sustento y beneficien a la vez a la fauna salvaje y el pastoreo.

Invasion dynamics of white-nose syndrome fungus, midwestern United States, 2012-2014.

White-nose syndrome has devastated bat populations in eastern North America. In Midwestern United States, prevalence increased quickly in the first year of invasion (2012-13) but with low population declines. In the second year (2013-14), environmental contamination led to earlier infection and high population declines. Interventions must be implemented before or soon after fungal invasion to prevent population collapse.

Acute middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in livestock Dromedaries, Dubai, 2014.

Camels carry Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, but little is known about infection age or prevalence. We studied >800 dromedaries of all ages and 15 mother-calf pairs. This syndrome constitutes an acute, epidemic, and time-limited infection in camels <4 years of age, particularly calves. Delayed social separation of calves might reduce human infection risk.

Prevalence of SFTSV among Asian house shrews and rodents, China, January-August 2013.

To evaluate the role of small mammals as hosts of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), we tested serum samples from rodents and shrews in China, collected in 2013. SFTSV antibodies and RNA were detected, suggesting that rodents and shrews might be hosts for SFTSV.

Antibodies against MERS coronavirus in dromedary camels, Kenya, 1992-2013.

Dromedary camels are a putative source for human infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. We showed that camels sampled in different regions in Kenya during 1992-2013 have antibodies against this virus. High densities of camel populations correlated with increased seropositivity and might be a factor in predicting long-term virus maintenance.

Isolation of MERS coronavirus from a dromedary camel, Qatar, 2014.

We obtained the full genome of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from a camel in Qatar. This virus is highly similar to the human England/Qatar 1 virus isolated in 2012. The MERS-CoV from the camel efficiently replicated in human cells, providing further evidence for the zoonotic potential of MERS-CoV from camels.