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Influenza A Virus Surveillance, Infection And Antibody Persistence In Snow Geese (Anser Caerulescens), Susan A. Shriner, J. Jeffrey Root, Jeremy W. Ellis, Kevin T. Bentler, Kaci K. Vandalen, Thomas Gidlewski, Sarah N. Bevins Jan 2021

Influenza A Virus Surveillance, Infection And Antibody Persistence In Snow Geese (Anser Caerulescens), Susan A. Shriner, J. Jeffrey Root, Jeremy W. Ellis, Kevin T. Bentler, Kaci K. Vandalen, Thomas Gidlewski, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Some snow geese (Anser caerulescens) migrate between Eurasia and North America and exhibit high seroprevalence for influenza A viruses (IAVs). Hence, these birds might be expected to play a role in intercontinental dispersal of IAVs. Our objective in this manuscript was to characterize basic incidence and infection characteristics for snow geese to assess whether these birds are likely to significantly contribute to circulation of IAVs. Thus, we 1) estimated snow goose infection prevalence by summarizing > 5,000 snow goose surveillance records, 2) experimentally infected snow geese with a low pathogenic IAV (H4N6) to assess susceptibility and infection dynamics and …


Social Structure Defines Spatial Transmission Of African Swine Fever In Wild Boar, Kim M. Pepin, Andrew J. Golnar, Tomasz Podgórski Jan 2021

Social Structure Defines Spatial Transmission Of African Swine Fever In Wild Boar, Kim M. Pepin, Andrew J. Golnar, Tomasz Podgórski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The spatial spread of infectious disease is determined by spatial and social processes such as animal space use and family group structure. Yet, the impacts of social processes on spatial spread remain poorly understood and estimates of spatial transmission kernels (STKs) often exclude social structure. Understanding the impacts of social structure on STKs is important for obtaining robust inferences for policy decisions and optimizing response plans. We fit spatially explicit transmission models with different assumptions about contact structure to African swine fever virus surveillance data from eastern Poland from 2014 to 2015 and evaluated how social structure affected inference of …


Occurrence Of Mesocarnivores In Montane Sky Islands: How Spatial And Temporal Overlap Informs Rabies Management In A Regional Hotspot, Amanda M. Veals, John Koprowski, David L. Bergman, Kurt C. Vercauteren, David B. Wester Jan 2021

Occurrence Of Mesocarnivores In Montane Sky Islands: How Spatial And Temporal Overlap Informs Rabies Management In A Regional Hotspot, Amanda M. Veals, John Koprowski, David L. Bergman, Kurt C. Vercauteren, David B. Wester

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interspecific interactions among mesocarnivores can influence community dynamics and resource partitioning. Insights into these interactions can enhance understanding of local ecological processes that have impacts on pathogen transmission, such as the rabies lyssavirus. Host species ecology can provide an important baseline for disease management strategies especially in biologically diverse ecosystems and heterogeneous landscapes. We used a mesocarnivore guild native to the southwestern United States, a regional rabies hotspot, that are prone to rabies outbreaks as our study system. Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and coyotes (Canis latrans) share large portions of their geographic ranges …


Sars-Cov-2 Exposure In Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Jeffrey C. Chandler, Sarah N. Bevins, Jeremy W. Ellis, Timothy J. Linder, Rachel M. Tell, Melinda Jenkins-Moore, J. Jeffrey Root, Julianna B. Lenoch, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Tom Gidlewski, Mia Kim Torchetti, Susan A. Shriner Jan 2021

Sars-Cov-2 Exposure In Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Jeffrey C. Chandler, Sarah N. Bevins, Jeremy W. Ellis, Timothy J. Linder, Rachel M. Tell, Melinda Jenkins-Moore, J. Jeffrey Root, Julianna B. Lenoch, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Tom Gidlewski, Mia Kim Torchetti, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Widespread human SARS-CoV-2 infections combined with human–wildlife interactions create the potential for reverse zoonosis from humans to wildlife. We targeted white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for serosurveillance based on evidence these deer have angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors with high affinity for SARS-CoV-2, are permissive to infection, exhibit sustained viral shedding, can transmit to conspecifics, exhibit social behavior, and can be abundant near urban centers. We evaluated 624 prepandemic and postpandemic serum samples from wild deer from four US states for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Antibodies were detected in 152 samples (40%) from 2021 using a surrogate virus neutralization test. A subset of samples …


Detection Of Two Dissimilar Chronic Wasting Disease Isolates In Two Captive Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Herds: Two Distinctive Chronic Wasting Disease Isolates Identified In Captive Elk, Tracy A. Nichols, Eric M. Nicholson, Yihui Liu, Wanyin Tao, Terry R. Spraker, Michael Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Qingzhong Kong, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2021

Detection Of Two Dissimilar Chronic Wasting Disease Isolates In Two Captive Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Herds: Two Distinctive Chronic Wasting Disease Isolates Identified In Captive Elk, Tracy A. Nichols, Eric M. Nicholson, Yihui Liu, Wanyin Tao, Terry R. Spraker, Michael Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Qingzhong Kong, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) continues to spread in both wild and captive cervid herds in North America and has now been identified in wild reindeer and moose in Norway, Finland and Sweden. There is limited knowledge about the variety and characteristics of isolates or strains of CWD that exist in the landscape and their implications on wild and captive cervid herds. In this study, we evaluated brain samples from two captive elk herds that had differing prevalence, history and timelines of CWD incidence. Site 1 had a 16-year history of CWD with a consistently low prevalence between 5% and 10%. …


Environmental Dna For Conservation, Antoinette J. Piaggio Jan 2021

Environmental Dna For Conservation, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Biodiversity must be documented before it can be conserved. However, it may be difficult to document species with few individuals (Thompson, 2013; Goldberg et al., 2016), thus it requires a multitude of tools to detect species that occur in low numbers or are elusive (see the various chapters in this volume). One tool that has become useful for conservation efforts utilizes environmental DNA, which is DNA shed into the environment by organisms (eDNA; Taberlet et al., 2018). Typically this involves taking environmental samples such as soil, water, air, or using biological surrogates for sampling biodiversity (e.g. leeches, sponges, carrion flies, …


Allometric Regression Of Snake Body Length From Head Image Measurements, Shane R. Siers Jan 2021

Allometric Regression Of Snake Body Length From Head Image Measurements, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As in many fields of wildlife research and management, camera devices and photogrammetry have become an integral part of the toolkit for exploring otherwise‐unseen aspects of the biology, behavior, and control of the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam. Because brown treesnakes are cryptic and nocturnal, and nearly all aspects of their ecology are influenced by snake size, methods are needed to estimate snake size from images captured by infrared wildlife cameras. Unfortunately, it is difficult to capture images of an entire snake’s length at a controlled distance from a simple camera setup. Here, I describe the …


Increased Abundance Of The Common Raven Within The Ranges Of Greater And Gunnison Sage-Grouse: Influence Of Anthropogenic Subsidies And Fire, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Lindsey R. Perry, Jeffrey L. Beck, Jimmy D. Taylor Jan 2021

Increased Abundance Of The Common Raven Within The Ranges Of Greater And Gunnison Sage-Grouse: Influence Of Anthropogenic Subsidies And Fire, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Lindsey R. Perry, Jeffrey L. Beck, Jimmy D. Taylor

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is native to North America and has increased in abundance, especially throughout western North America, during the last century. Human subsidies have facilitated raven dispersal into less suitable habitats and enabled these populations to maintain higher annual survival and reproduction. Concomitantly, overabundant raven populations are impacting other native at-risk species such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and potentially the Gunnison sage-grouse (C. minimus). Using Breeding Bird Survey data from 1995–2014, we evaluated raven count data to quantitatively describe changes in abundance and expansion into sagebrush ( …


A Novel Technique To Improve Capture Success Of Common Ravens, Lindsey R. Perry, Terrah M. Owens, Zachary T. Slick, Jimmy Taylor, Jonathan B. Dinkins Jan 2021

A Novel Technique To Improve Capture Success Of Common Ravens, Lindsey R. Perry, Terrah M. Owens, Zachary T. Slick, Jimmy Taylor, Jonathan B. Dinkins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Traditional trapping techniques for common ravens (Corvus corax; raven) require significant effort, often produce low capture rates, and cannot be used in some situations. We designed a 3-m noose pole to secure ravens from nocturnal roost locations while using a strobe spotlight to temporarily disorient them. We collected measures of trapping efficiency and contrasted them with padded leghold traps also used in the study. We effectively implemented our noose pole method in July and August of 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Baker and Cow Lakes sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Priority Areas of Conservation in eastern Oregon, USA, which yielded trapping …


Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman Jan 2021

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic …


Understanding Metrics Of Stress In The Context Of Invasion History: The Case Of The Brown Treesnake (Boiga Irregularis), Natalie Claunch, Ignacio Moore, Heather L. Waye, Laura Schoenle, Samantha J. Oakey, Robert N. Reed, Christina Romagosa Jan 2021

Understanding Metrics Of Stress In The Context Of Invasion History: The Case Of The Brown Treesnake (Boiga Irregularis), Natalie Claunch, Ignacio Moore, Heather L. Waye, Laura Schoenle, Samantha J. Oakey, Robert N. Reed, Christina Romagosa

Biology Publications

Invasive species can exert rapid depletion of resources after introduction and, in turn, affect their own population density. Additionally, management actions can have direct and indirect effects on demography. Physiological variables can predict demographic change but are often restricted to snapshots-in-time and delayed confirmation of changes in population density reduces their utility. To evaluate the relationships between physiology and demography, we assessed metrics of individual and demographic stress (baseline and 1-h corticosterone (CORT), body condition and bacterial killing ability) in the invasive snake Boiga irregularis on Guam collected in intervals of 10–15 years. We also assessed potential discrepancies between different …


Detection Of Rhodococcus Equi By Pcr From Foals And Determination Of Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Şükrü Kirkan, Uğur Parin, Hafi̇ze Tuğba Yüksel Dolgun, Eli̇f Oya Oral Jan 2021

Detection Of Rhodococcus Equi By Pcr From Foals And Determination Of Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Şükrü Kirkan, Uğur Parin, Hafi̇ze Tuğba Yüksel Dolgun, Eli̇f Oya Oral

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The scope of this research was determination of Rhodococcus equi isolates and antimicrobial susceptibilities in nasal swab specimen taken from animals between 0 and 6 months of age period. R. equi was identified from 10 isolates (11.1%) by automatic identification device. The verification of isolates were conducted by 16S ribosomal RNA PCR. VapA gene presence was detected in two (20%) isolates and multidrug resistance was identified against 11 antimicrobials. The antimicrobial resistance to macrolides and rifampin is arising worldwide since the excessive usage of the chemotherapeutics in various breeding farms just by evaluating monitoring outcomes. These results exhibit the presence …


Failure Of Passive Transfer In Neonatal Calves In Dairy Farms In Ankara Region, Erdal Kara, Ebubeki̇r Ceylan Jan 2021

Failure Of Passive Transfer In Neonatal Calves In Dairy Farms In Ankara Region, Erdal Kara, Ebubeki̇r Ceylan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study, as a model for the farms in Turkey implementing professional herd management protocols, was conducted to examine a variety of factors in relation to the prevalence of failure of passive transfer (FPT) and the passive transfer (PT) in dairy farms in Ankara. A total of 400 calves and 363 cows from 9 different farms practicing professional herd management systems and employ full-time veterinarians were included in the study. Following the birth of the calf, colostrum was taken from cows, blood samples were taken from calves at 24-48 h of age and analysed for IgG using ELISA. FPT was …


Evaluation Of Survival Rate Of Fogera Calves And Their Crossbred At Chagni Cattle Breed Improvement And Andasa Livestock Research Centres, Tazeb Gessess, Godadaw Misganaw, Yohannes Dagnew Jan 2021

Evaluation Of Survival Rate Of Fogera Calves And Their Crossbred At Chagni Cattle Breed Improvement And Andasa Livestock Research Centres, Tazeb Gessess, Godadaw Misganaw, Yohannes Dagnew

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The study was conducted in Chagni Cattle Bred Improvement and Andassa Livestock Research Center of Western, Amhara region to evaluate the survival rate of pure Fogera and their HolsteinFriesian crossbred calves. A retrospective type of study design was used for conducting the study. The data used in the study was taken from the records of Chagni ranch and Andassa Livestock Research Center between 2011 and 2017. The survival rates were estimated by using cox regression and Kaplan-Meier model of Stata software. The mortality rate was 3% which was nearly the optimum level that many scholars agreed for successful rearing practices. …


Seroprevalence Of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, Bovine Herpesvirus Type 1 And Bovineherpesvirus Type 4 Infections In Cattle In Ağrı Province, Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey, Mustafa Si̇nan Aktaş, Hasan Çeli̇k Jan 2021

Seroprevalence Of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, Bovine Herpesvirus Type 1 And Bovineherpesvirus Type 4 Infections In Cattle In Ağrı Province, Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey, Mustafa Si̇nan Aktaş, Hasan Çeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This research was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV), Bovine Herpes Virus 1 (BoHV-1), and Bovine Herpes Virus 4 (BoHV-4) in cattle (n = 188) in Ağrı province of Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey. The presence of BVDV, BoHV-1, and BoHV-4 antibodies in sera samples were determined by an ELISA test kit. It was determined that the highest seropositivity for BoHV-1 in Tutak disrict (9.9%), in ≤ 3 years age groups (3.39%), and in Simmental cattle (14.28%); for BoHV-4 in Doğubeyazıt disrict (4.16%), %), in ≤ 3 years age groups (1.70%), and in Simmental cross …


Immunoglobulins And Acute Phase Proteins In Van Cats - Associations With Sex, Age, Andeye Colour, Pinar Coşkun, Vahdetti̇n Altunok, Fi̇li̇z Kazak, Nazmi̇ Yüksek Jan 2021

Immunoglobulins And Acute Phase Proteins In Van Cats - Associations With Sex, Age, Andeye Colour, Pinar Coşkun, Vahdetti̇n Altunok, Fi̇li̇z Kazak, Nazmi̇ Yüksek

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

It was aimed to determine concentrations of plasma immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) and acute phase proteins (?-1 acid glycoprotein, serum amyloid A, ceruloplasmin) and the association of these parameters with age, sex, and eye colour in Van cats. Blood plasma of healthy, forty-seven Van cats (Van Cat Home) fed with standard cat food were involved in the study. Cats were divided into four groups based on age ( 5) and eye colour (amber-amber, amber-blue, blue-amber, and blue-blue eyes described from left to right), and two groups based on sex (male and female). Plasma IgG, IgA, IgM, ?-1 acid glycoprotein, serum …


A New Molecular Approach To The Diagnosis Of Small Ruminant Morbillivirus Withevagreen Based Assay, Mustafa Emi̇n Öz, Emrah Torlak, Oğuzhan Avci, Müge Doğan, Ali̇ Tevfi̇k Uncu Jan 2021

A New Molecular Approach To The Diagnosis Of Small Ruminant Morbillivirus Withevagreen Based Assay, Mustafa Emi̇n Öz, Emrah Torlak, Oğuzhan Avci, Müge Doğan, Ali̇ Tevfi̇k Uncu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present work describes a new method that is anticipated to contribute to the global control and eradication strategies of small ruminant morbillivirus (SRMV), which negatively affects sheep and goat breeding in many countries where outbreaks emerge. Described assay was developed to detect SRMV by targeting the fusion glycoprotein gene. In the study, the EvaGreen based real-time RT-PCR method is compared with real-time RT-PCR based on TaqMan probe, which is recommended as the diagnostic test by World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Detection limit, normalized fluorescence values, and sensitivity of the methods were evaluated in the analysis. The lowest limit …


Isolation And Identification Of Clostridium Difficile From Cases Of Diarrhea In Young Farmanimals, And The Determination Of Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Edi̇z Kağan Özgen, Murat Yildirim Jan 2021

Isolation And Identification Of Clostridium Difficile From Cases Of Diarrhea In Young Farmanimals, And The Determination Of Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Edi̇z Kağan Özgen, Murat Yildirim

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Clostridium difficile was isolated for the first time in 1935 from fecal samples of infants, although it was not until 1978 that its pathogenicity started to be considered, when it was shown to cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. In this study, it was aimed to determine the virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles of C. dificile in young ruminants with diarrhea and chickens fed on the farm. A total of 200 fecal samples (50 from calves, 50 from lambs and 50 from kid goats with neonatal diarrhea, as well as 50 cloacal swab samples taken from chickens) were taken and …


The Morphometric And Erythrometric Analyses Of Pelophylax Ridibundus Living In Anthropogenic Pollution Resources, Mesut Dönmez, Turgay Şi̇şman Jan 2021

The Morphometric And Erythrometric Analyses Of Pelophylax Ridibundus Living In Anthropogenic Pollution Resources, Mesut Dönmez, Turgay Şi̇şman

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The health status of Pelophylax ridibundus species living in anthropogenic pollution sources in Erzurum (Turkey) were investigated. Firstly, heavy metal concentrations in liver of the frog species, and in water and sediment samples taken from the habitats of the frogs were determined by instrumental analysis. Secondly, morphometric (fluctuating asymmetry-FA, hepatosomatic index- HSI) and erythrometric analyses were performed to reveal the health status of the frogs in the areas. Our study provides the first morphometric datas on the frog in Turkey. Although the metal concentrations in the water were high, it was determined that they did not exceed the limit values. …


First Report On Mild Insecticide Resistance In Newly Established Aegean Aedes Albopictus Populations Of Turkey, Sare İlknur Yavaşoğlu Jan 2021

First Report On Mild Insecticide Resistance In Newly Established Aegean Aedes Albopictus Populations Of Turkey, Sare İlknur Yavaşoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The invasive nature of Aedes albopictus, a competent vector of dengue, zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, has spread to many parts of the world. To date, there have been no report regarding the insecticide resistance status of Aedes albopictus populations along the Aegean coasts of Turkey. This study aims to confirm the occurrence of Aedes albopictus populations in the Aegean region of Turkey and test their susceptibility against different insecticide classes. Bioassay for susceptibility to Dikloro difenil trikloroetan (DDT) (4%), propoxur (0.1%), fenitrothion (1%), bendiocarb (0.1%), permethrin (0.75%), and deltamethrin (0.05%) of each population was assessed through the World …


A Survey Of Anthelmintic Resistance In Angus Bulls Participating In Centralized Performance Tests In Appalachia, Roger Tyler Rohrbaugh Jan 2021

A Survey Of Anthelmintic Resistance In Angus Bulls Participating In Centralized Performance Tests In Appalachia, Roger Tyler Rohrbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resistance to anthelmintics, more commonly referred to as “de-wormers,” has been on the rise in parasites that affect cattle. Parasite infection can have severe impacts on calf productivity resulting in reduced profitability. Therefore, we sought to better understand anthelmintic resistance in Appalachia by surveying Angus bulls entering performance tests in VA and WV. During a four-year period, over 1050 Angus bulls were tested at bull development facilities in Wardensville, WV, Culpeper, VA and Wytheville, VA. Fecal samples were collected at arrival and 14-21 days later for determination of fecal egg count (FEC) reduction. Upon arrival, all bulls received either fenbendazole …


Effect Of Fecal Egg Count Estimated Breeding Value On Antibody Production In Katahdin Lambs, Kelsey L. Bentley Jan 2021

Effect Of Fecal Egg Count Estimated Breeding Value On Antibody Production In Katahdin Lambs, Kelsey L. Bentley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With current pressures to seek out genetic solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance, genetic resistance to the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus may reduce need for prophylactic antibiotic use. The Katahdin breed has effectively utilized post-weaning fecal egg count estimated breeding value (PFEC EBV) to reduce parasitism within their flocks, but there still remains significant opportunity for selection within breed. In a previous study, Katahdin sheep sired by low PFEC sires had greater survivability to weaning than lambs sired by high PFEC rams and preweaning was caused by other diseases than parasitism. Those data lead to the hypothesis that selection for PFEC …


The Effects Of Genetic Differences In An Innate Immune Receptor On Immune Responses To Haemonchus Contortus In Sheep, Denzel Deshawn Middleton Jan 2021

The Effects Of Genetic Differences In An Innate Immune Receptor On Immune Responses To Haemonchus Contortus In Sheep, Denzel Deshawn Middleton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little is known about differences observed in early immunological signaling events that result in cellular infiltration and Th2 cytokine production that mediate parasite expulsion. Parasite resistant St. Croix (STC) sheep have been used as model for full host protective immunity as they present the ability to respond to larval stages of H. contortus. RNA sequencing analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with H. contortus larval antigen (HcLA) revealed significant upregulation in NLRP3 and its pathway component TLR4. Predicted protein structural software identified distinct differences in NLRP3 protein structure in STC and parasite susceptible Suffolk (SUF) sheep. NLRP3 …


Text Mining To Identify The Origin Of Chronic Wasting Disease, G. Webb Jan 2021

Text Mining To Identify The Origin Of Chronic Wasting Disease, G. Webb

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Chronic wasting  disease (CWD)  is  a 100  percent  fatal,  prion  disease of  deer  that  has  the potential  to decimate  the  deer  population and  jump to  the  human  population.   A  simple  Google  search on  the  “origin of  chronic wasting  disease” yielded  a total  of  56  relevant  articles.   Of  these,  75  percent  report  that  the origin  is  unknown,  19.6  percent  report  that  the  disease  may  have  originated  in  a  Fort  Collins,  Colorado, government  research facility, and 5.4 percent  report  other  possible  origins.  Government  sources  reported the  Fort  Collins  theory  4.3 percent  of  the  time  while  non-governmental  sources,  such  as news articles, reported …


Occurrence Of Pulmonary Arteritis With Lungworm Infections In Gray Seals From New England, 2013-2020, Jillian R. Broadhurst, Inga Sidor Dvm, Ms, Dacvp Jan 2021

Occurrence Of Pulmonary Arteritis With Lungworm Infections In Gray Seals From New England, 2013-2020, Jillian R. Broadhurst, Inga Sidor Dvm, Ms, Dacvp

Honors Theses and Capstones

Gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) are a common pinniped species in New England coastal waters. Parasitic infection is an important cause of mortality for this species, and lungworm species are frequently implicated in cases of respiratory infection, especially in pups and weanling seals. The most common of these is Otostrongylus circumlitus, a large nematode found in the bronchi and bronchioles of affected seals. The full life cycle is unknown but its presence in lungs and sometimes pulmonary arteries suggests that migration via arterial circulation occurs. Signs and microscopic findings are widely variable; our cases included dyspnea, bloody mucoid …


Core Commitments For Field Trials Of Gene Drive Organisms, Kanya C. Long, Luke Alphey, George J. Annas, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Karl J. Campbell, Jackson Champer, Chun-Hong Chen, Amit Choudhary, George M. Church, James P. Collins, Kimberly L. Cooper, Jason A. Delborne, Owain R. Edwards, Claudia I. Emerson, Kevin Esvelt, Sam Weiss Evans, Robert M. Friedman, Valentino M. Gantz, Fred Gould, Sarah Hartley, Elizabeth Heitman, Janet Hemingway, Hirotaka Kanuka, Jennifer Kuzma, James V. Lavery, Yoosook Lee, Marce Lorenzen, Jeantine E. Lunshof, John M. Marshall, Philipp W. Messer, Craig Montell, Kenneth A. Oye, Megan J. Palmer, Philippos Aris Papathanos, Prasad N. Paradkar, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jason L. Rasgon, Gordana Rašić, Larisa Rudenko, J. Royden Saah, Maxwell J. Scott, Jolene T. Sutton, Adam E, Vorsino, Omar S. Akbari Dec 2020

Core Commitments For Field Trials Of Gene Drive Organisms, Kanya C. Long, Luke Alphey, George J. Annas, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Karl J. Campbell, Jackson Champer, Chun-Hong Chen, Amit Choudhary, George M. Church, James P. Collins, Kimberly L. Cooper, Jason A. Delborne, Owain R. Edwards, Claudia I. Emerson, Kevin Esvelt, Sam Weiss Evans, Robert M. Friedman, Valentino M. Gantz, Fred Gould, Sarah Hartley, Elizabeth Heitman, Janet Hemingway, Hirotaka Kanuka, Jennifer Kuzma, James V. Lavery, Yoosook Lee, Marce Lorenzen, Jeantine E. Lunshof, John M. Marshall, Philipp W. Messer, Craig Montell, Kenneth A. Oye, Megan J. Palmer, Philippos Aris Papathanos, Prasad N. Paradkar, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jason L. Rasgon, Gordana Rašić, Larisa Rudenko, J. Royden Saah, Maxwell J. Scott, Jolene T. Sutton, Adam E, Vorsino, Omar S. Akbari

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We must ensure that trials are scientifically, politically, and socially robust, publicly accountable, and widely transparent.

Gene drive organisms (GDOs), whose genomes have been genetically engineered to spread a desired allele through a population, have the potential to transform the way societies address a wide range of daunting public health and environmental challenges. The development, testing, and release of GDOs, however, are complex and often controversial. A key challenge is to clarify the appropriate roles of developers and others actively engaged in work with GDOs in decision-making processes, and, in particular, how to establish partnerships with relevant authorities and other …


Prevalence Of Snake Fungal Disease Caused By Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola In East Texas, Alan Lizarraga Dec 2020

Prevalence Of Snake Fungal Disease Caused By Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola In East Texas, Alan Lizarraga

Biology Theses

Fungal pathogens and resultant disease are credited with the decline of many species across all branches of the tree of life. Fungal diseases such as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), primarily caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo), have been strongly associated with the cause of the decrease/disappearance of many snake populations in North America. To date SFD in the wild has been described as far southwest as central Louisiana. Due to similar conditions and the proximity of East Texas to central Louisiana, a survey of local snake populations provided crucial information about the spread and presence of this emerging pathogen. …


Detecting Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Manuel Zavala Dec 2020

Detecting Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Manuel Zavala

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging diseases such as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo) have caused population declines in various snake species in the United States which play a crucial role in the ecosystem as a natural pest control. This fungus targets the scales as a medium to thrive on which can lead to facial disfiguration and respiratory infections. We examined snakes to see if SFD was present in the LRGV and if other fungal species pose a threat to the various snake species population. The data for this study consisted of 14 live snakes captured in …


Effect Of Feed Additives And Toxic Elements On Swine Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Function And Reproductive Performance, Richard A. Mudarra Hernández Dec 2020

Effect Of Feed Additives And Toxic Elements On Swine Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Function And Reproductive Performance, Richard A. Mudarra Hernández

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To evaluate the effects of peptide in combination of zinc oxide (Zno) or acidifiers (Exp 1), and gossypol (G) from cottonseed meal (CSM) ( Exp 2&3) on growth performance, complete blood cell counts (Exp 1, 2&3), nutrient digestibility (Exp 1), plasma gossypol (Exp 2&3) and semen quality (Exp 3), weaned pigs (Exp 1), growing gilts (Exp 2) and growing boars (Exp 3) were randomly allotted to dietary treatments. Treatments for Exp 1 during phase 1&2 were: (1) Positive Control (PC), formulated to meet NRC (2012) nutrient requirements; (2) Negative control (NC), fish meal was reduced to achieve -0.13% SID lysine; …


Hormonal Responses To Seasonal Thermal And Ecological Stressors In Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata), Lilianne Nelson Dec 2020

Hormonal Responses To Seasonal Thermal And Ecological Stressors In Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata), Lilianne Nelson

Masters Theses

Relative to most primate species, Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) experience extreme seasonal variation in thermal and ecological stressors that can impact energetic demands. To cope with these environmental changes, levels of metabolic hormones, such as cortisol and triiodothyronine, fluctuate to facilitate energetic adjustments. While previous research in primates has investigated thermal and ecological stressors individually, a combined assessment of these stressors alongside hormone levels can provide a more holistic understanding of the relationship between a primate’s thermoregulation, energetic balance, and stress. The goals of this study were to determine the effects of season, temperature and ecological stress on …