Wildlife rehabilitation centers as a potential source of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 into native wildlife of Latin America.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world, causing a great number of mortality of humans and affecting the economy, while conservation efforts are finally recognized to prevent further pandemics. The wildlife rehabilitation centers (WRCs) play a relevant role in animal welfare; nevertheless, they also represent an imminent risk of pathogen transmission between humans-to-animals and between animals. Moreover, WRCs could spread pathogens into natural habitats through the reintroduction of infectious individuals. These biosafety concerns at WRCs may increase as the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 extends. We explored the current situation of Latin American WRCs under the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 introduction, amplification, and spread within these institutions. We surveyed WRCs from eight Latin American countries. We found that pandemic is affecting these institutions in many aspects: workers with symptoms compatible with COVID-19, reduced economic resources, and lack of information and support from governmental authorities. These have forced WRCs to reduce the workforce, veterinary visits, and animal food rations and to increase the number of animals released. This scenario generates a risky environment for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, especially for felids, mustelids, and non-human primates. Therefore, it is imperative to respect quarantine periods, monitor incoming patients, increase biosecurity measures, develop and apply guidelines and recommendations for the protection of personnel and biosafety of enclosures and instruments. It is of utmost importance the proper and safer reintroduction of recovered wildlife.

La pandemia de COVID­19 ha impactado mundialmente, provocando una alta mortalidad en humanos y afectando la economía, resaltando la importancia de los esfuerzos de conservación para prevenir nuevas pandemias. Los centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre juegan un papel relevante en el bienestar animal, sin embargo, también representan un riesgo inminente de transmisión de patógenos entre humanos a animales y entre animales. Además, los centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre podrían propagar patógenos a hábitats naturales mediante la reintroducción de individuos infecciosos. Estas preocupaciones de bioseguridad en centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre pueden aumentar a medida que se extiende el impacto económico y social del COVID­19. Exploramos la situación actual de centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre latinoamericanos durante la pandemia de COVID­19 para determinar la viabilidad de la introducción, amplificación y propagación del SARS­CoV­2 dentro de estas instituciones. Encuestamos centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre de ocho países latinoamericanos y encontramos que la pandemia está afectando a estas instituciones en muchos aspectos: trabajadores con síntomas compatibles con COVID­19, recursos económicos reducidos y falta de información y apoyo de las autoridades gubernamentales. Estos han obligado a centros de rehabilitación de vida silvestre a reducir la mano de obra, las visitas veterinarias y las raciones de alimentos para animales, así como aumentar el número de animales liberados. Este escenario genera un entorno de riesgo para la transmisión del SARS­CoV­2, especialmente para félidos, mustélidos y primates no humanos. Por lo tanto, es imperativo respetar los períodos de cuarentena, monitorear a los pacientes que ingresan, incrementar las medidas de bioseguridad, desarrollar y aplicar lineamientos y recomendaciones para la protección del personal y la bioseguridad. Es de suma importancia la reintroducción adecuada y segura de la vida silvestre recuperada.

NEOSPORA CANINUM-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES IN FREE-RANGING WHITE-LIPPED PECCARIES ( TAYASSU PECARI) FROM THE PERUVIAN AMAZON: DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES IN SERUM AND EVALUATION OF INDIRECT FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TEST WITH HETEROLOGOUS SECONDARY ANTIBODY.

Neospora caninum is a coccidian parasite originally reported in dogs and widely prevalent in numerous species of wild and domestic animals and has as definitive hosts some species of canids. The white-lipped peccary (WLP) ( Tayassu pecari) is a Tayassuidae mammal, found from Mexico to south of Brazil and north of Argentina. It is a game species with great economic importance in the Peruvian Amazon. Blood samples from 101 WLPs were collected from near or within three different conservation reserves located in the southeastern region of the Peruvian Amazon. For the detection of antibodies against N. caninum, indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT) were performed using collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu) and swine ( Sus scrofa domesticus) heterologous secondary antibodies. For both IFAT tests, the cutoff was 1:50. Positive samples were titrated by a two fold serial dilution. In addition to IFAT, samples were also analyzed using an immunoblotting test (IB) with anti-swine conjugate. To confirm the viability of the anti-swine conjugate, the results of these samples previously tested by a modified agglutination test (MAT) for Toxoplasma gondii were used as reference. From the total of 101 samples tested, 5 (4.9%) were N. caninum positive by the three tests and an extra sample was positive by both IFATs and negative in the IB. Comparing both IFATs and considering IB as the gold standard, the relative sensitivity of IFATs was 100%, the specificity was 98.9%, the positive predictive value was 83.3%, and the negative predictive value was 100%. The agreement between tests was characterized by a κ value of 0.904 (95% confidence interval, 0.717 to 1.0) and an SE of 0.095. This is the first report of N. caninum antibodies in free-ranging T. pecari, and swine and collared peccary conjugate can be used as a secondary antibody for detection of antibodies in Tayassu species.

Differences in plasmatic butyrylcholinesterases (BChE) values between Pacific and Caribbean populations of terciopelo (Bothrops asper) in Costa Rica.

The terciopelo (Bothrops asper) inhabits human-modified environments such as agricultural areas, becoming more prone to be exposed to organophosphate insecticides. These chemicals can inhibit plasmatic butyrylcholinesterases (BChE) activity in B. asper. Caribbean and Pacific populations of B. asper belong to two divergent lineages that exhibit robust genetic partitioning; however, differences across versants in biochemistry and hematology have not yet been examined, especially in BChE variations. This study aims to evaluate the differences of BChE plasmatic values, hematology parameters, and some biochemical analytes as biomarkers in the presence of organophosphates between the Pacific and Caribbean population of B. asper in Costa Rica. A total of 89 snakes (41 Pacific and 48 Caribbean) were used, and hematology parameter, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein and BChEs were evaluated. Differences in hemoglobin content, thrombocytes, white cell count, AST, and BChE values were found between both versants. Intrinsic genetic factors might influence the variation found in BChE and AST values in the snakes sampled from both versants; moreover, understanding this variation in BChE and AST values across the B. asper's distribution can be useful in future ecotoxicology, biomonitoring, genetic and other clinical/health studies.