EPIZOOTIOLOGY OF CRANIAL ABSCESS DISEASE IN WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) OF GEORGIA, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Intracranial abscess disease is a cause of natural mortality for mature male whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Most cases of abscesses are associated with bacterial infection by Trueperella (Arcanobacterium) pyogenes, but a complete understanding of the epidemiology of this disease is lacking. We quantified the effects of individual characteristics, site-specific herd demographics, land cover, and soil variables in estimating the probability of this disease. We examined 7,545 white-tailed deer from 60 sites throughout Georgia, US for signs of cranial abscesses, the predecessor of intracranial abscesses, and recorded the presence or absence of cranial abscesses for each individual examined. We detected no cranial abscesses in 2,562 female deer but 91 abscesses in 4,983 male deer examined (1.8%). A generalized linear mixed model, treating site as a random effect, was used to examine several potential explanatory risk factors including site-level landscape and soil characteristics (soil and forest type), demographic factors (deer density and male to female ratio), and individual host factors (deer sex and age). Model results indicated that the probability of a male having a cranial abscess increased with age and that adult sex ratio (male:female) was positively associated with this disease. Site-specific variables for land cover and soil types were not strongly associated with observations of the disease at the scale measured and a large amount of among-site variability remained. Given the demonstrated effect of age, gender, and local sex ratios but the remaining unexplained spatial variability, additional investigation into spatiotemporal variation of the presumed bacterial causative agent of cranial abscesses appears warranted.

Epethelial Presence of Trueperella pyogenes Predicts Site-Level Presence of Cranial Abscess Disease in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

“…We found no cranial abscesses on any of the 2,446 female deer and male deer <1 year old examined. We detected cranial abscesses in 80 (2.5%) of adult male deer examined (see [ 4 ] for more details on age and gender related risks of this disease). Of the 29 sites surveyed, 11 (37.9%) met the threshold criteria to be considered as having cranial abscess disease present at the site level for our analysis ( Fig.…”

“…Cranial/intracranial abscess disease is a cause of morbidity and mortality in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) across portions of the United States and Canada [ 2 ]. This disease disproportionately affects males ≥ 3.5 years old [ 2 , 3 , 4 ] and reports of recent significant mortality from this disease indicate it could have population level impacts [ 2 , 5 ]. The gender-related bias of intracranial abscess disease may be due to the unique behavioral patterns of adult males associated with sexual competition [ 3 , 4 ], or potential differences in the bacterial flora between male and female deer.…”

“…Although numerous bacteria have been found associated with intracranial abscesses, Trueperella ( Arcanobacterium ) pyogenes [ 6 ] is most commonly isolated [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. T .…”

Isolation of Trueperella pyogenes in a case of thoracic and abdominal abscess in a galago (Otolemur garnettii)

“…T. pyogenes has been associated with multiple lesions in animals including liver abscesses and metritis in cattle , intracranial abscesses in deer , cystitis in dogs , otitis in cats , and endocarditis in humans . A single report of a T. pyogenes infection in a non‐human primate (gray slender loris) exists in the literature.…”

“…A single report of a facial abscess due to Trueperella pyogenes has been described in a gray slender loris ( Loris lydekkerianus nordicus ) . Infections in various animal species have been described and include ruminants (liver abscesses , metritis , intracranial abscesses ) dogs (cystitis) , cats (otitis externa) , and humans (endocarditis) .…”