Serologic Survey for Selected Viral Pathogens in Free-Ranging Endangered European Mink (Mustela Lutreola) and Other Mustelids From South-Western France

Abstract

ABSTRACT:To investigate the possible role of selected pathogens in the decline of endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola) populations and the potential for these pathogens to affect mink survival, a serologic survey was conducted using serum samples collected from March 1996 to March 2003 in eight departments of south-western France. In total, 481 free-ranging individuals of five mustelid species (including the European mink) were tested. Sympatric mustelids can serve as sentinels to determine the presence of antibodies to viruses in the study area that could potentially infect mink. Antibodies to Canine distemper virus (CDV) were detected in all species; 9% of 127 European mink, 20% of 210 polecats (Mustela putorius), 5% of 112 American mink (Mustela vison), 33% of 21 stone marten (Martes foina) and 5% of 20 pine marten (Martes martes). Antibody prevalence was significantly higher in stone marten and polecats, possibly because their ranges overlap more closely with that of domestic species than that of the other species tested. Antibodies to Canine adenovirus were detected in all species but the pine marten; antibody prevalence estimates ranging from 2% to 10%. Antibodies to canine parainfluenza virus were detected in 1% of European mink, 1% of American mink and 5% of tested polecats but were not detected in Martes species. Antibodies to Rabies virus (RV) were detected in three animals, possibly because of interspecies transmission of bat lyssaviruses as the sampling area is considered to be free of RV, or to a lack of test specificity, as antibody titers were low. The high antibody prevalence to potentially lethal CDV suggests that this pathogen could have significant effects on the free-ranging populations and has implications for the conservation efforts for the endangered European mink.

Epidemiological features and the neuropathological manifestations of canine distemper virus-induced infections in Brazil: a review

“…Nevertheless, the importance of CDV in urban and rural populations cannot be underscored, and it must be highlighted that CD has been classified as class 3 EID (i.e., a recognized infectious agent, affecting an emerging, new or increasing range of hosts, within a known geographical location) within the continental USA and Africa, since CDV endangers a wide host of carnivores, might be related to the extinction of the African wild dog and populations of black-footed ferrets, and threatens the survival of the Ethiopian wolf (DASZAK; CUNNINGHAM; HYATT, 2000). In Europe, CDV might be threatening the existence of the European mink, Mustela lutreola (PHILIPPA et al, 2008), and the Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus (MELI et al, 2010).…”

“…In Europe, martens (Martes spp.) are considered as possible intermediate wildlife reservoirs of CDV (MYERS et al, 1997;PHILIPPA et al, 2008), and were attributed as sources of infection that resulted in the death of 19 large felids in Switzerland (MYERS et al, 1997). These animals live in close proximity with humans and are likely to become contaminated by CDV-infected dogs (PHILIPPA et al, 2008).…”

“…are considered as possible intermediate wildlife reservoirs of CDV (MYERS et al, 1997;PHILIPPA et al, 2008), and were attributed as sources of infection that resulted in the death of 19 large felids in Switzerland (MYERS et al, 1997). These animals live in close proximity with humans and are likely to become contaminated by CDV-infected dogs (PHILIPPA et al, 2008). The scavenging habit of rural dogs or mongrels facilitates the ingestion of contaminated remains of dead raccoons left aimlessly along roadways and already infected with CDV (KAPIL et al, 2008), thereby serving as a vector to disseminate the disease to canine hosts that were not adequately vaccinated.…”

Leptospirosis in Free-Ranging Endangered European Mink (Mustela Lutreola) and Other Small Carnivores (Mustelidae, Viverridae) From Southwestern France

“…Identification of the role of infectious disease is an important concern for conservation strategies, especially because animals with low genetic diversity could be more vulnerable to infectious disease (O'Brien and Evermann, 1988). Recent studies of the western population of European mink revealed the prevalence of Aleutian disease virus and canine distemper virus, whereas exposure to other viral pathogens appeared to be low (Fournier-Chambrillon et al, 2004a;Philippa et al, 2008). Another potential disease is leptospirosis, a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by a pathogenic spirochete, Leptospira interrogans sensu lato (L. interrogans sl), which affects a wide range of vertebrates, including humans.…”

“…First, we investigated the prevalence of antibodies to L. interrogans sl in several freeranging small carnivores and in farmed American mink to measure exposure to this pathogen; second, we determined the prevalence of renal carriage of spirochetes in some species in order to better evaluate their potential epidemiologic role. (Fournier-Chambrillon et al, 2004a;Philippa et al, 2008). Individual animals were sometimes caught several times.…”