Publications by authors named "Felicia B Nutter"

Aims: Q fever is a globally distributed, neglected zoonotic disease of conservation and public health importance, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Coxiella burnetii normally causes subclinical infections in livestock, but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species. One such artiodactyl, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), is an increasingly important livestock species in semi-arid landscapes.

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Influenza A viruses (IAV) circulate endemically among many wild aquatic bird populations that seasonally migrate between wintering grounds in southern latitudes to breeding ranges along the perimeter of the circumpolar arctic. Arctic and subarctic zones are hypothesized to serve as ecologic drivers of the intercontinental movement and reassortment of IAVs due to high densities of disparate populations of long distance migratory and native bird species present during breeding seasons. Iceland is a staging ground that connects the East Atlantic and North Atlantic American flyways, providing a unique study system for characterizing viral flow between eastern and western hemispheres.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify if certain biomarkers (CXCL1, MMP8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α) could be found in the serum of Asian elephants and if they were elevated in those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb).
  • A total of 101 serum samples were analyzed, with 10 samples from M.tb-positive elephants and 91 from M.tb-negative elephants, using ELISA kits to measure biomarker concentrations.
  • Results showed that most samples had undetectable levels of the biomarkers, indicating no significant elevation in M.tb-positive elephants, suggesting that they might not be reliable indicators for disease in asymptomatic cases.
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Arctic regions are ecologically significant for the environmental persistence and geographic dissemination of influenza A viruses (IAVs) by avian hosts and other wildlife species. Data describing the epidemiology and ecology of IAVs among wildlife in the arctic are less frequently published compared to southern temperate regions, where prevalence and subtype diversity are more routinely documented. Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review addresses this gap by describing the prevalence, spatiotemporal distribution, and ecological characteristics of IAVs detected among wildlife and the environment in this understudied region of the globe.

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Infectious zoonotic diseases are a threat to wildlife conservation and global health. They are especially a concern for wild apes, which are vulnerable to many human infectious diseases. As ecotourism, deforestation, and great ape field research increase, the threat of human-sourced infections to wild populations becomes more substantial and could result in devastating population declines.

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Objectives: This study used computer simulation modeling to estimate and compare costs of different free-roaming cat (FRC) management options (lethal and non-lethal removal, trap-neuter-return, combinations of these options and no action) and their ability to reduce FRC population abundance in open demographic settings. The findings provide a resource for selecting management approaches that are well matched for specific communities, goals and timelines, and they represent use of best available science to address FRC issues.

Methods: Multiple FRC management approaches were simulated at varying intensities using a stochastic individual-based model in the software package Vortex.

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In the light of the urgency raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, global investment in wildlife virology is likely to increase, and new surveillance programmes will identify hundreds of novel viruses that might someday pose a threat to humans. To support the extensive task of laboratory characterization, scientists may increasingly rely on data-driven rubrics or machine learning models that learn from known zoonoses to identify which animal pathogens could someday pose a threat to global health. We synthesize the findings of an interdisciplinary workshop on zoonotic risk technologies to answer the following questions.

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Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) causes a disease that primarily affects juvenile Asian () elephants, causing acute hemorrhage and death. Due to the severity of the disease, many zoos have developed EEHV active surveillance programs. Currently, trunk washes are the standard for testing elephants for shedding of EEHV, but it has also been detected from other mucosal surfaces.

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Large populations of free-roaming cats (FRCs) generate ongoing concerns for welfare of both individual animals and populations, for human public health, for viability of native wildlife populations, and for local ecological damage. Managing FRC populations is a complex task, without universal agreement on best practices. Previous analyses that use simulation modeling tools to evaluate alternative management methods have focused on relative efficacy of removal (or trap-return, TR), typically involving euthanasia, and sterilization (or trap-neuter-return, TNR) in demographically isolated populations.

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Africa is faced with many of the most daunting challenges of our time. It comprises roughly 15% of the world's human population, and most of its countries are perpetually ranked "Low" on the United Nations' Human Development Index. On the other hand, Africa has arguably the largest proportion of intact natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and sociocultural capital and the lowest impact on global warming of any continent.

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A Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) was presented to the veterinary clinic at the North Carolina Zoological Park for evaluation of acute weakness of the right wing. Results of a physical examination revealed a lack of a palpable pulse in the radial artery, which suggested occlusion or obstruction of the vessel. Radiography, thermography, and fluorescein angiography confirmed right wing injury and vascular compromise.

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As wildlife populations are declining, conservationists are under increasing pressure to measure the effectiveness of different management strategies. Conventional conservation measures such as law enforcement and community development projects are typically designed to minimize negative human influences upon a species and its ecosystem. In contrast, we define "extreme" conservation as efforts targeted to deliberately increase positive human influences, including veterinary care and close monitoring of individual animals.

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A male neonatal Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) stranded off the coast of California, USA, was presented for rehabilitation with numerous partially haired, soft tissue masses around the mouth and in the oropharynx. Because of the extent of the lesions, the seal was humanely euthanized. Histologically, the masses consisted of subepithelial connective tissue and subcutis expanded by a proliferation of streams and bundles of spindle to stellate cells.

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Published data on milk composition for nonhuman primates, especially great apes, are lacking. Milk composition data are important for understanding the physiology and evolution of mammalian milk production, as well as the nutritional requirements of infants. For many primate species these data have added relevance because of the need to hand raise infants orphaned by poaching or separated from their mothers in captivity.

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Objective: To determine the time and financial costs of programs for live trapping feral cats and determine whether allowing cats to become acclimated to the traps improved trapping effectiveness.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Animals: 107 feral cats in 9 colonies.

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Objective: To determine reproductive capacity of naturally breeding free-roaming domestic cats and kitten survival rate.

Design: Prospective cohort and retrospective cross-sectional study.

Animals: 2,332 female cats brought to a trap-neuter-return clinic for neutering and 71 female cats and 171 kittens comprising 50 litters from a cohort study of feral cats in managed colonies.

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Objective: To compare seroprevalences of antibodies against Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii and fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium spp, Giardia spp, and Toxocara cati in feral and pet domestic cats.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional serologic and coprologic survey.

Animals: 100 feral cats and 76 pet domestic cats from Randolph County, NC.

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This report presents data regarding the brain structure of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in comparison with other great apes. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of three mountain gorilla brains were obtained with a 3T scanner, and the volume of major neuroanatomical structures (neocortical gray matter, hippocampus, thalamus, striatum, and cerebellum) was measured. These data were included with our existing database that includes 23 chimpanzees, three western lowland gorillas, and six orangutans.

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Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) is a neurologic disease that has been diagnosed in free-ranging birds in the southeastern United States. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leuocephalus), American coots (Fulica americana), and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) have been affected. Previous investigations have not determined the etiology of this disease.

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Objective: To characterize clinical features of avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) in American coots.

Design: Case-control study.

Animals: 26 AVM-affected American coots and 12 unaffected coots.

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