Population genetics, invasion pathways and public health risks of the raccoon and its roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis in northwestern Europe.

The geographic range of the zoonotic raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) is expanding together with the range of its host, the raccoon (Procyon lotor). This creates a new public health risk in parts of Europe where this parasite was previously absent. In the Netherlands, a raccoon population is becoming established and incidental findings of B. procyonis have been reported. To assess the risk to public health, the prevalence of B. procyonis was determined in the province of Limburg, where currently the largest Dutch raccoon population is present, as well as in the adjoining region of southern Belgium. Furthermore, genetic methods were employed to assess invasion pathways of both the raccoon and B. procyonis to aid in the development of control measures. Macroscopic analysis of intestinal content and testing of faecal samples were performed to detect B. procyonis adults and eggs. The population genetics of both B. procyonis and its raccoon host were analysed using samples from central and northwestern Europe. B. procyonis was found in 14/23 (61%, 95% CI: 41%-78%) raccoons from Limburg, but was not detected in 50 Belgian raccoons. Genetic analyses showed that the majority of the Dutch raccoons and their roundworms were introduced through ex-captive individuals. As long as free-living raccoon populations originate from captivity, population control methods may be pursued. However, natural dispersal from the border regions will complicate prolonged population control. To reduce the public health risk posed by B. procyonis, public education to increase awareness and adapt behaviour towards raccoons is key.

Pattern of latrine use by domestic cats on dairy farms and the implications for Toxoplasma gondii transmission.

Toxoplasma gondii is the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a highly prevalent zoonosis that affects humans and warm-blooded animals. Faeces of infected cats can contain millions of T. gondii oocysts, which remain infectious in the environment for months. Sites repeatedly used by cats for defecation ('latrines') are recognised as hotspots of T. gondii soil contamination, but this contamination varies from one latrine to another. To understand this spatial heterogeneity, camera traps were deployed in 39 cat latrines on three dairy farms with high-density cat populations and programmed to record visits during sixteen 10-day sessions, rotating between three farms over a period of a year. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to test the effects of cat sexual maturity, latrine location and season on the number of cat faeces deposited and on the number of cats defecating per latrine, as determined from the analysis of 41,282 video recordings. Sexually immature cats defecated 6.60-fold (95% CI = [2.87-15.25]) more often in latrines located close to a feeding site than in other latrines. This pattern was also observed for mature males (odds ratio [OR] = 9.42, 95% CI = [3.29-26.91]), especially during winter, but not for mature females (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = [0.80-3.94]). The number of defecating cats was also 2.67-fold (95% CI = [1.66-4.30], P < 0.001) higher in latrines located close to a feeding point than in those located far from it, regardless of cat category and season. Visits by intermediate T. gondii hosts (micromammals, birds and others) were also recorded. Out of the 39 latrines, 30 (76.92%) were visited by at least one intermediate host during the study period, and some latrines were highly frequented (up to 8.74 visits/day on average). These results provide evidence that the location of food resources in dairy farms influences the latrine use pattern by cats. Highly frequented latrines can be of high risk of T. gondii infection for definitive and intermediate hosts.

Performance and Accuracy of Lightweight and Low-Cost GPS Data Loggers According to Antenna Positions, Fix Intervals, Habitats and Animal Movements.

Recently developed low-cost Global Positioning System (GPS) data loggers are promising tools for wildlife research because of their affordability for low-budget projects and ability to simultaneously track a greater number of individuals compared with expensive built-in wildlife GPS. However, the reliability of these devices must be carefully examined because they were not developed to track wildlife. This study aimed to assess the performance and accuracy of commercially available GPS data loggers for the first time using the same methods applied to test built-in wildlife GPS. The effects of antenna position, fix interval and habitat on the fix-success rate (FSR) and location error (LE) of CatLog data loggers were investigated in stationary tests, whereas the effects of animal movements on these errors were investigated in motion tests. The units operated well and presented consistent performance and accuracy over time in stationary tests, and the FSR was good for all antenna positions and fix intervals. However, the LE was affected by the GPS antenna and fix interval. Furthermore, completely or partially obstructed habitats reduced the FSR by up to 80% in households and increased the LE. Movement across habitats had no effect on the FSR, whereas forest habitat influenced the LE. Finally, the mean FSR (0.90 ± 0.26) and LE (15.4 ± 10.1 m) values from low-cost GPS data loggers were comparable to those of built-in wildlife GPS collars (71.6% of fixes with LE < 10 m for motion tests), thus confirming their suitability for use in wildlife studies.