Teaching Wildlife Disease Outbreak Response Through a Collaborative One Health Workshop.

Issues in the fields of wildlife disease and One Health are often difficult to address by single research groups because of the many disciplines and areas of expertise required to effectively solve complex problems. Although collaborations are becoming increasingly prevalent in the professional realm, many undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are merely introduced to the idea of collaboration without fully understanding how team-based approaches function. In this report, we describe the framework for a one-day workshop hosted by the Colorado State University student chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association (CSU WDA), where we gathered students and professionals to collectively investigate a simulated wildlife disease outbreak. CSU WDA student members designed the workshop and recruited professionals who are experts in their respective fields to run an outbreak simulation during the event. Based on pre- and post-event evaluation responses, this workshop was effective in increasing participants' knowledge of disease ecology, pathology, genetics, and microbiology, as well as the importance of collaboration among disciplines as it pertains to wildlife disease outbreaks.

A COMPARISON OF OPIOID-BASED PROTOCOLS FOR IMMOBILIZATION OF CAPTIVE GREVY'S ZEBRA (EQUUS GREVYI).

Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is an endangered species often found in zoological collections. Veterinary care for this species often requires immobilization. This study retrospectively evaluated behavioral and physiological parameters from Grevy's zebra records after three immobilization protocols: etorphine and alpha-2 agonist (EA2; n = 11); etorphine, alpha-2 agonist, and ketamine (EA2K; n = 16); and thiafentanil, alpha-2 agonist, and ketamine (TA2K; n = 6). Median time to working depth was statistically different (P = 0.03; EA2 = 6.5 min, EA2K = 6.3 min, TA2K = 14.5 min) by the Kruskal-Wallis test. When EA2 + EA2K were combined and compared with TA2K (Wilcoxon rank sum test), median recumbency time (P = 0.02) was also significantly longer (15 min compared with 6 min) for TA2K. There were no significant differences between the groups for physiological parameters or recovery time after reversal. Although all protocols produced anesthesia in Grevy's zebra, increased time to achieve working depth was observed with the alpha-2 and thiafentanil combinations.

Definitive Hosts of Versteria Tapeworms (Cestoda: Taeniidae) Causing Fatal Infection in North America.

We previously reported fatal infection of a captive Bornean orangutan with metacestodes of a novel taeniid tapeworm, Versteria sp. New data implicate mustelids as definitive hosts of these tapeworms in North America. At least 2 parasite genetic lineages circulate in North America, representing separate introductions from Eurasia.

Zoonotic viruses associated with illegally imported wildlife products.

The global trade in wildlife has historically contributed to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. The United States is the world's largest importer of wildlife and wildlife products, yet minimal pathogen surveillance has precluded assessment of the health risks posed by this practice. This report details the findings of a pilot project to establish surveillance methodology for zoonotic agents in confiscated wildlife products. Initial findings from samples collected at several international airports identified parts originating from nonhuman primate (NHP) and rodent species, including baboon, chimpanzee, mangabey, guenon, green monkey, cane rat and rat. Pathogen screening identified retroviruses (simian foamy virus) and/or herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus and lymphocryptovirus) in the NHP samples. These results are the first demonstration that illegal bushmeat importation into the United States could act as a conduit for pathogen spread, and suggest that implementation of disease surveillance of the wildlife trade will help facilitate prevention of disease emergence.