Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Estimating Wildlife Strike Costs At Us Airports: A Machine Learning Approach, Levi Altringer, Jordan Navin, Michael J. Begier, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Current lower bound estimates of the economic burden of wildlife strikes make use of mean cost assignment to impute missing values in the National Wildlife Strike Database (NWSD). The accuracy of these estimates, however, are undermined by the skewed nature of reported cost data and fail to account for differences in observed strike characteristics—e.g., type of aircraft, size of aircraft, type of damage, size of animal struck, etc. This paper makes use of modern machine learning techniques to provide a more accurate measure of the strike-related costs that accrue to the US civil aviation industry. We estimate that wildlife strikes …

Oral Rabies Vaccination Of Small Indian Mongooses (Urva Auropunctata) With Onrab Via Ultralite Baits, Are R. Berentsen, Israel Leinbach, Mel J. Rivera-Rodriguez, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Ontario Rabies Vaccine (ONRAB) is a human adenovirus rabies glycoprotein recombinant oral vaccine immunogenic for small Indian mongooses when delivered by direct instillation into the oral cavity. We offered Ultralite baits containing ~1.8 mL 109.5 TCID50 ONRAB oral rabies vaccine to 18 mongooses, while 6 mongooses were offered identical baits in placebo form. We collected sera from individual mongooses at days 0, 14 and 30 post vaccination (pv) and quantified rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test, with titers greater than or equal to 0.1 IU/mL considered positive. All study subjects were RVNA negative …

Biodetection Of A Specific Odor Signature In Mallard Feces Associated With Infection By Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza A Virus, Glen J. Golden, Meredith Jj. Grady, Hailey E. Mclean, Susan A. Shriner, Airn E. Hartwig, Richard A. Bowen, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Outbreaks of avian influenza virus (AIV) infection included the spread of highly pathogenic AIV in commercial poultry and backyard flocks in the spring of 2015. This resulted in estimated losses of more than $8.5 million from federal government expenditures, $1.6 billion from direct losses to produces arising from destroyed turkey and chicken egg production, and economy-wide indirect costs of $3.3 billion from impacts on retailers and the food service industries. Additionally, these outbreaks resulted in the death or depopulation of nearly 50 million domestic birds. Domesticated male ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were trained to display a specific conditioned behavior (i.e. …

H7n1 Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Viruses In Poultry In The United States During 2018, Dong-Hun Lee, Mary Lea Killian, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xiu-Feng Wan, Li Lei, David E. Swayne, Mia Kim Torchetti

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Here, we report three detections of H7N1 low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) from poultry in Missouri (n¼2) and Texas (n¼1) during February and March 2018. Complete genome sequencing and comparative phylogenetic analysis suggest that the H7 LPAIV precursor viruses were circulating in wild birds in North America during the fall and winter of 2017 and spilled over into domestic poultry in Texas and Missouri independently during the spring of 2018.

RESUMEN. Nota de investigacio´n—Virus de la influenza aviar de baja patogenicidad H7N1 en avicultura, Estados Unidos, 2018. En este art´ıculo se reportan tres detecciones del virus de influenza aviar …

Surgical Sterilization Impacts On Behavior Of Coyote Pairs, Tyler Leary, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) involved in depredation of livestock, an act frequently resulting in human-wildlife conflict, often do so out of necessity for provisioning pups. Surgical sterilization methods such as vasectomy that preserve gonadal hormones have been successful in reducing depredation by free-ranging coyotes while allowing individuals to maintain territoriality and mate fidelity. However, use of these methods remain costly and ineffective for wide-scale use. Given the alternative proposal of using chemical sterilization techniques, we investigated whether the use of hormone-altering sterilization methods impacted behavior of captive coyote pairs (i.e., male-female pair bonds). Our objective was to evaluate behavior …

Dietary Flexibility Of Wood Storks In Response To Human-Induced Rapid Environmental Change, Betsy A. Evans, Jessica A. Klassen, Dale E. Gawlik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) has altered landscape processes and negatively impacted many species globally. Some of the most dramatic changes have been in wetlands where flows have been disrupted, and new wetlands have been created to retain runoff. In response to disrupted natural wetland conditions, Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) populations in South Florida have significantly declined over the past several decades. Despite the well-documented sensitivity of Wood Storks to natural wetland conditions, Wood Storks are often observed foraging in roadside created wetlands; however, the availability of prey in created wetlands is currently unknown. We sampled natural and created wetlands …

Space Use In Free-Ranging Canids: Are Gonadal Hormones Required For Territory Maintenance?, Eric M. Gese, Patricia A. Terletzky

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fertility control among carnivores has been used to reduce depredations on livestock and wild neonates, population control, modify behavior, inhibit genetic introgression, and reduce human–wildlife conflicts. Although there is considerable knowledge on techniques to sterilize carnivores, there is little information concerning how the absence of gonadal hormones influences behavior, space use, and survival of wild canids. We examined territorial fidelity, home-range size and overlap, and survival of 179 surgically sterilized free-ranging canids (124 coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823), 55 coyote – red wolf (Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) hybrids) with gonadal hormones present (tubal-ligated females (n = 70), vasectomized …

Social Identity And Acceptability Of Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Control Actions: A Case Study Of Texas Hunters, Lauren Jaebker, Tara L. Teel, Alan D. Bright, Hailey E. Mclean, John M. Tomeček, Maureen G. Frank, Rachael L. Connally, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Keith M. Carlisle

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) pose significant challenges to wildlife managers. This research explored Texas hunters’ acceptability of wild pig control actions, and whether acceptability varied according to hunters’ affiliation with four different categories of natural resource organizations as an indicator of social identity. Results of a survey (n = 37,317) revealed that most hunters were accepting of all control actions except toxicants and non-lethal deterrents. Mean acceptability scores for each action differed significantly across the four affiliation categories, but effect sizes were minimal. Hunters affiliated with agricultural organizations were the most accepting of control actions, while hunters with …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 …

Pharmacologically Induced Ex Copula Ejaculation In Horses And Donkeys, Afroza Khanam, Ayman A Swelum, Firdous A Khan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pharmacologically induced ex copula ejaculation is a method used for collection of semen when the traditional methods of semen collection are not feasible. Common indications for this method include health issues that either preclude the physical act of mating or result in impaired erection and ejaculation. The method also offers an alternative when there is a lack of equipment and facilities required for semen collection using the conventional artificial vagina method. A variety of pharmacological protocols for ex copula ejaculation in stallions have been evaluated in both research and clinical settings with no serious side-effects reported. In general, these protocols …

Animal Sentience: History, Science, And Politics, Andrew N. Rowan, Joyce M. D'Silva, Ian J.H. Duncan, Nicholas Palmer

Animal Sentience

This target article has three parts. The first briefly reviews the thinking about nonhuman animals’ sentience in the Western canon: what we might know about their capacity for feeling, leading up to Bentham’s famous question “can they suffer?” The second part sketches the modern development of animal welfare science and the role that animal-sentience considerations have played therein. The third part describes the launching, by Compassion in World Farming, of efforts to incorporate animal sentience language into public policy and regulations concerning human treatment of animals.

Effects Of Orally Administered Colloidal Silver On The Macroscopic And Microscopic Features Of Kidneys In Apparently Healthy Adult Female Mice, Lia Isabella T. Soliman

Undergraduate Theses

This study described the macroscopic and microscopic lesions, and frequency of silver ion deposition in the kidneys of female ICR mice upon oral administration of colloidal silver. Fifty samples were divided into a total of six treatment groups: two control groups (n=5) given 3DH2O (0.07mL), two low dose treatment groups (n=10) given 0.07mL colloidal silver solution, and two high dose treatment groups (n=10) given 0.12mL colloidal silver solution, each with durations of seven or 14 days. No macroscopic lesions were observed. Histopathology revealed glomerulonephritis as the most common microscopic lesion, followed by congestion and fibrosis. Tubular hypertrophy due to compensatory …

Organosomatic Indices And Endocrine Related Histopathological Features Of The Testis, Liver, And Kidney In Caged Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) From The Seven Lakes Of San Pablo, Aline Karen T. Pagkaliwagan

Undergraduate Theses

This study was conducted to determine the potential effects of EDCs on juvenile male Nile tilapia. Measurement of E2 and BPA in water samples were conducted using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Testis, liver, and kidneys were excised, and the gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and presence of endocrine- related histopathological lesions were determined. Results revealed highly

detectable levels of E2 and BPA in all samples, including water from the deep well supply of the UPLB Limnological Research Station. GSI was lower in fish from Calibato and Yambo lakes in comparison to Sampaloc Lake. HSI was comparatively higher in …

Hematologic Profiles Associated With Hemoparasite And Gastrointestinal Parasite Infection In Captive Varanus Spp., Katya B. Milad

Undergraduate Theses

Parasitic infections can lead to serious diseases in captive wildlife making them a serious concern in captive environments. Wildlife serves as major reservoirs of zoonotic agents and parasites are among them. This study was conducted to detect the presence of hemoparasites and gastrointestinal parasites in captive Varanus spp. and to describe their association with hematologic characteristics. Blood and fecal samples of Varanus spp. from the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Quezon City, Philippines were examined for hemoparasites and gastrointestinal parasites using light microscopy. Blood cell morphology was assessed using light microscopy while complete blood count was measured using light microscopy, Natt …

Macroscopic And Microscopic Evaluation Of Skin Wound Healing Properties Of Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus) Blood Plasma On Skin Incision Wounds Of Male Icr Mice, Archie James C. Lluz

Undergraduate Theses

The wound healing properties of saltwater crocodile blood (Crocodylus porosus) plasma was assessed by topical administration on skin incision wounds of male ICR mice. Thirty male ICR mice were divided among three treatments namely 0.9% NSS, povidone-iodine solution, and saltwater crocodile blood plasma. Macroscopic and microscopic changes on the wound were evaluated on days 7, 14, and 21. Hyperemia and wound elevation were observed on all treatments and plasma group showed that hyperemia and wound elevation resolved faster when treated with saltwater crocodile blood plasma compared to povidone-iodine. Wounds treated with plasma had smaller scabs compared with povidone-iodine and scar …

Ultrasound Features Of The Urogenital Organs Of Healthy Male And Female Palawan Bearcats (Arctictis Binturong Whitei, J.A. Allen, 1910) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Viverridae), Eoin Q. Lajara

Undergraduate Theses

There are currently no published studies regarding the ultrasonographic features of the urogenital organs of the Palawan bearcat, a Vulnerable viverrid endemic to Palawan, Philippines. Ultrasound was done in the right and left flanks, pelvic area, and genital area to view the right and left kidney, urinary bladder, and testes, respectively, of four female and three male rescued adult Palawan bearcats at Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. Scans with good views were rescaled and the dimension parameters (length, width, thickness, diameter) of the organs were recorded; echogenicities of organ structures were measured also measured. The left and right kidneys …

B-Mode, M-Mode And Doppler Echocardiographic Features In Dairy Water Buffalo Calves, Mary Jovy B. Chavez

Undergraduate Theses

Thirty-two crossbreeds (Philippine Carabao x Bulgarian Murrah) of buffalo calves weighing 18-125 kg, with age range of one day to six- months, were classified according to sex and examined using an ultrasound machine equipped with a multi-frequency scanner at 3rd to 5th ICS, right parasternal long axis view. Cardiac structures were described using B- mode, measurements were obtained using M-mode echocardiography and

blood flow was measured and characterized using pulsed-wave Doppler and color flow Doppler, respectively. The different heart chamber walls and septa appeared as hypoechoic bands while the atria, ventricles and aorta were visualized as anechoic lumen. There were …

Gross Morphometrics Of The Skull And Mandible Of The Philippine Native Horse (Equus Caballus) With Special Reference To The Applied Anatomical Landmark Measurements For Regional Anesthesia Of The Head, Marvin Dave R. Bodegon

Undergraduate Theses

Gross morphometrics of the skull and mandible of the Philippine native horse with special reference to the applied anatomical landmark measurements for regional anesthesia of the head were determined. Twelve (12) fresh heads identified as Philippine native horse were collected from abattoirs. Infraorbital, mental, auriculopalpebral, and inferior alveolar nerves were visualized and measured. A total of 50 and 25 measurements were taken from the skull and mandible, respectively. Measurements were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Sample measurements of the skull and mandible were profile/skull length (47.35 ± 2.08 cm) and length from the angle (35.18 ± 1.8 cm), respectively, Craniofacial …

Science-Based Regulation Of Pharmacological Substances In Competition Horses, Jacob Machin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Current testing methodologies within equine forensic toxicology focus on arbitrary thresholds and zero-tolerance policy. Modern analytical chemistry’s limits of detection are low enough that oftentimes femtogram-per-milliliter amounts of a substance can readily be identified in both blood and urine of a horse. For most pharmacologically relevant compounds, these concentrations have no relevance to pharmacological effect. It is therefore crucial that testing methodologies to determine appropriate thresholds and cut-offs be developed that are driven by biological activity rather than arbitrary limits of detection. This dissertation looks to address this by suggesting a system of calculated Effective Plasma Concentrations by which a …

Heeding The Call Of Covid-19, David Wiebers, Valery Feigin

Animal Sentience

We are grateful to all of our commentators. They have provided a wide range of valuable perspectives and insights from many fields, revealing a broad interest in the subject matter. Nearly all the commentaries have helped to affirm, refine, expand, amplify, deepen, interpret, elaborate, or apply the messages in the target article. Some have offered critiques and suggestions that help us address certain issues in greater detail, including several points concerning industrialized farming and the wildlife trade. Overall, there is great awareness and strong consensus among commentators that any solution for preventing future pandemics and other related health crises must …

Effect Of Eggshell Temperatures On Hatching Performance, Egg Production, And Bonemorphology Of Laying Hens, Serdar Kamanli, Zi̇şan Servet Yalçin, Ahmet Nuri̇ Taşdemi̇r, Bülent Tarim, Engi̇n Tülek, Hüseyi̇n Aygören, Öğünç Meral, Bi̇rkan Karsli, Tansel Ansal Balci, Mehmet Bozkurt

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of lower or higher eggshell temperatures from days 7 to 21 on hatching performance, bone and blood parameters, and egg production along with the age of laying chickens. A total of 3150 eggs obtained from a white egg-type breeder were divided randomly into 3 groups of 1050 eggs. From 7 to 21 days, eggs were incubated at one of three eggshell temperatures: Control (IC) 37.5 °C, low (IL) 36.9 °C, and high (IH) 38.5 °C. At hatch, chicks were weighed, and blood was collected to measure total Ca, inorganic P, and ALP …

A Comprehensive Review On Genetic Diversity And Phylogenetic Relationships Amongnative Turkish Cattle Breeds Based On Microsatellite Markers, Eymen Demi̇r, Taki̇ Karsli, Murat Soner Balcioğlu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Many local breeds belonging to different livestock species such as cattle are in danger of extinction, since farmers prefer high-yielding breeds as well as intensive selection pressure. This fact leads to conduct suitable breeding and conservation programs in worldwide. Revealing genetic diversity is the first step for applying breeding and conservation programs. In this respect, this is the first comprehensive study aimed to review current genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among native Turkish cattle breeds based on previous microsatellite marker studies. Compared to other local cattle breeds reared in different regions of the world, native Turkish cattle breeds hold a …