Diseases of Free-Ranging Snow Leopards and Primary Prey Species

Ostrowski, Stéphane; Gilbert, Martin

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802213-9.00009-2

Cited by 8 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The cold, arid environment inhabited by snow leopards likely has lower microbial abundance than in more temperate and mesic habitats (12). Consequently, snow leopards should encounter disease agents less frequently than many other carnivores and may therefore exhibit lower intrinsic levels of immunity, rendering it vulnerable to disease outbreaks (13,14). Snow leopards are likely susceptible to most infectious diseases that are known to affect the domestic cat (Felis catus), in addition, spill over from other felids and prey animals contribute to the spectrum of infectious diseases that could affect the health of snow leopards (13,14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, snow leopards should encounter disease agents less frequently than many other carnivores and may therefore exhibit lower intrinsic levels of immunity, rendering it vulnerable to disease outbreaks (13,14). Snow leopards are likely susceptible to most infectious diseases that are known to affect the domestic cat (Felis catus), in addition, spill over from other felids and prey animals contribute to the spectrum of infectious diseases that could affect the health of snow leopards (13,14). Direct routes of transmission are likely most common, these include both intraspecies contact (mating, fighting, socializing) and interspecies contact with wild and domestic prey, other carnivores, and scavengers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Except for a few incidental reports and a recent study focusing on tick-borne bacteria from ticks collected from snow leopards and protozoan infections evidenced by serology (15), there are no published data on infectious diseases in free-ranging snow leopards, owing to their remote and inaccessible habitat, combined with the species' secretive nature. Accordingly, there is very limited information regarding the prevalence and thus potential threat of infectious diseases to snow leopards or which microorganisms are most commonly found in the species (14). Therefore, to begin mapping the occurrence of infectious agents in free-ranging snow leopards, we collected samples from eight animals captured in a telemetry study (16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing

et al. 2020

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Snow leopards inhabit the cold, arid environments of the high mountains of South and Central Asia. These living conditions likely affect the abundance and composition of microbes with the capacity to infect these animals. It is important to investigate the microbes that snow leopards are exposed to detect infectious disease threats and define a baseline for future changes that may impact the health of this endangered felid. In this work, next-generation sequencing is used to investigate the fecal (and in a few cases serum) virome of seven snow leopards from the Tost Mountains of Mongolia. The viral species to which the greatest number of sequences reads showed high similarity was rotavirus. Excluding one animal with overall very few sequence reads, four of six animals (67%) displayed evidence of rotavirus infection. A serum sample of a male and a rectal swab of a female snow leopard produced sequence reads identical or closely similar to felid herpesvirus 1, providing the first evidence that this virus infects snow leopards. In addition, the rectal swab from the same female also displayed sequence reads most similar to feline papillomavirus 2, which is the first evidence for this virus infecting snow leopards. The rectal swabs from all animals also showed evidence for the presence of small circular DNA viruses, predominantly Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses and in one case feline anellovirus. Several of the viruses implicated in the present study could affect the health of snow leopards. In animals which are under environmental stress, for example, young dispersing individuals and lactating females, health issues may be exacerbated by latent virus infections.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing

et al. 2020

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“…It is generally assumed that the cold and dry high-altitude landscapes of High Asia have lower abundance and richness of pathogens than the warmer lower elevations (Ostrowski and Gilbert 2016). However, the relative importance of pathogen abundance to the emergence of EIDs, compared to other risk factors, is largely unknown.…”

Section: Local Ecological Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the relative importance of pathogen abundance to the emergence of EIDs, compared to other risk factors, is largely unknown. It is also possible that lower intrinsic levels of immunity in animal populations because of lower rates of pathogen exposure or co-evolution of host-pathogen relationships compared to the tropics could render High Asian landscapes vulnerable to EIDs (Ostrowski and Gilbert 2016). S1 for details Recent studies of prominent wild animal taxa in High Asia, especially mammals, detail behavioral characteristics that could increase their disease exposure beyond what might be expected from the traditional view of these species (Table 1).…”

Section: Local Ecological Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

Mishra

Samelius²,

Khanyari

et al. 2021

Ambio

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The cold and arid mountains and plateaus of High Asia, inhabited by a relatively sparse human population, a high density of livestock, and wildlife such as the iconic snow leopard Panthera uncia, are usually considered low risk for disease outbreaks. However, based on current knowledge about drivers of disease emergence, we show that High Asia is rapidly developing conditions that favor increased emergence of infectious diseases and zoonoses. This is because of the existing prevalence of potentially serious pathogens in the system; intensifying environmental degradation; rapid changes in local ecological, socio-ecological, and socio-economic factors; and global risk intensifiers such as climate change and globalization. To better understand and manage the risks posed by diseases to humans, livestock, and wildlife, there is an urgent need for establishing a disease surveillance system and improving human and animal health care. Public health must be integrated with conservation programs, more ecologically sustainable development efforts and long-term disease surveillance.

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Pursuit and escape drive fine-scale movement variation during migration in a temperate alpine ungulate

John,

Avgar,

Rittger

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Climate change reduces snowpack, advances snowmelt phenology, drives summer warming, alters growing season precipitation regimes, and consequently modifies vegetation phenology in mountain systems. Elevational migrants track spatial variation in seasonal plant growth by moving between ranges at different elevations during spring, so climate-driven vegetation change may disrupt historic benefits of migration. Elevational migrants can furthermore cope with short-term environmental variability by undertaking brief vertical movements to refugia when sudden adverse conditions arise. We uncover drivers of fine-scale vertical movement variation during upland migration in an endangered alpine specialist, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) using a 20-year study of GPS collar data collected from 311 unique individuals. We used integrated step-selection analysis to determine factors that promote vertical movements and drive selection of destinations following vertical movements. Our results reveal that relatively high temperatures consistently drive uphill movements, while precipitation likely drives downhill movements. Furthermore, bighorn select destinations at their peak annual biomass and maximal time since snowmelt. These results indicate that although Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep seek out foraging opportunities related to landscape phenology, they compensate for short-term environmental stressors by undertaking brief up- and downslope vertical movements. Migrants may therefore be impacted by future warming and increased storm frequency or intensity, with shifts in annual migration timing, and fine-scale vertical movement responses to environmental variability.

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Diseases of Free-Ranging Snow Leopards and Primary Prey Species

Cited by 8 publications

References 38 publications

Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

Pursuit and escape drive fine-scale movement variation during migration in a temperate alpine ungulate

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