Antibody response of endangered riparian brush rabbits to vaccination against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; , ), the cause of a highly transmissible and fatal lagomorph disease, has spread rapidly through the western United States and Mexico, resulting in substantial mortality in domestic and wild rabbits. The disease was first detected in California in May 2020, prompting an interagency/zoo/academia/nonprofit team to implement emergency conservation actions to protect endangered riparian brush rabbits () from RHDV2. Prior to vaccinating wild rabbits, we conducted a vaccine safety trial by giving a single SC dose of Filavac VHD K C+V (Filavie) vaccine to 19 adult wild riparian brush rabbits captured and temporarily held in captivity.

Vector-Borne Disease in Wild Mammals Impacted by Urban Expansion and Climate Change.

Ecologies of zoonotic vector-borne diseases may shift with climate and land use change. As many urban-adapted mammals can host ectoparasites and pathogens of human and animal health concern, our goal was to compare patterns of arthropod-borne disease among medium-sized mammals across gradients of rural to urban landscapes in multiple regions of California. DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 1-5% of raccoons, coyotes, and San Joaquin kit foxes; Borrelia burgdorferi in one coyote, rickettsiae in two desert kit foxes, and Yersinia pestis in two coyotes.

Cutaneous Histiocytic Sarcoma with Giant Cells in a Free-ranging Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani).

A cutaneous mass in a free-ranging brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) was composed of neoplastic spindle to polygonal cells with multinucleated giant cells, which were positive for CD204 and negative for smooth muscle actin and desmin. Histiocytic sarcoma with giant cells was diagnosed; this neoplasm has not been reported previously in free-ranging lagomorphs.

MOVEMENTS BY SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES (VULPES MACROTIS MUTICA) BETWEEN URBAN AND NONURBAN HABITATS: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERPOPULATION DISEASE TRANSFER.

Sarcoptic mange epidemics erupted in two of the remaining populations of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica). Both populations are in urban habitats in the cities of Bakersfield and Taft, California, USA. The risk of disease spread from the two urban populations to nearby nonurban populations, and then throughout the species range, is of considerable conservation concern.

Spatio-temporal and transmission dynamics of sarcoptic mange in an endangered New World kit fox.

Sarcoptic mange poses a serious conservation threat to endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica). After first appearing in Bakersfield, California in spring 2013, mange reduced the kit fox population approximately 50% until the epidemic ended with minimally detectable endemic cases after 2020. Mange is lethal and thus, with such a high force of infection and lack of immunity, it remains unclear why the epidemic did not burn itself out rapidly and how it persisted so long.

Feline Leukemia Virus Frequently Spills Over from Domestic Cats to North American Pumas.

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a gammaretrovirus with horizontally transmitted and endogenous forms. Domestic cats are the primary reservoir species, but FeLV outbreaks in endangered Florida panthers and Iberian lynxes have resulted in mortalities. To assess prevalence and interspecific/intraspecific transmission, we conducted an extensive survey and phylogenetic analysis of FeLV infection in free-ranging pumas ( = 641) and bobcats ( = 212) and shelter domestic cats ( = 304).

Multi-population puma connectivity could restore genomic diversity to at-risk coastal populations in California.

Urbanization is decreasing wildlife habitat and connectivity worldwide, including for apex predators, such as the puma (). Puma populations along California's central and southern coastal habitats have experienced rapid fragmentation from development, leading to calls for demographic and genetic management. To address urgent conservation genomic concerns, we used double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to analyze 16,285 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 401 pumas sampled broadly across the state.

Sarcoptic mange outbreak decimates South American wild camelid populations in San Guillermo National Park, Argentina.

Sarcoptic mange epidemics can devastate wildlife populations. In 2014, mange was first detected in vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) and guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in San Guillermo National Park (SGNP), Argentina. This study describes the temporal dynamics of the outbreak, its effects on the park's wild camelid populations between 2017-2019, and investigates the potential source of the epidemic.

Generalized dermatophytosis caused by in 8 juvenile black bears in California.

From 2014-2019, 8 juvenile black bears () from different geographic regions were presented to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife because of emaciation, alopecia, and exfoliative dermatitis that resulted in death or euthanasia. Autopsy and histopathology revealed that all 8 bears had generalized hyperkeratotic dermatitis, folliculitis, and furunculosis. Skin structures were heavily colonized by fungal hyphae and arthrospores; fungal cultures of skin from 7 bears yielded , a zoophilic dermatophyte reported only rarely in non-equid species.

LEPTOSPIRA PREVALENCE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH RENAL PATHOLOGY IN MOUNTAIN LIONS (PUMA CONCOLOR) AND BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) IN CALIFORNIA, USA.

Leptospirosis is reported infrequently in wild and domestic felids. We estimated the prevalence of Leptospira spp. infection and exposure using real-time PCR and serology, respectively, in 136 mountain lions (Puma concolor) and 39 bobcats (Lynx rufus) that died or were euthanized between 2009 and 2017 from several regions of California, US.

USE OF FLUMETHRIN-IMPREGNATED COLLARS TO MANAGE AN EPIDEMIC OF SARCOPTIC MANGE IN AN URBAN POPULATION OF ENDANGERED SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES ().

Sarcoptic mange epidemics can have long-lasting impacts on susceptible wildlife populations, potentially contributing to local population declines and extirpation. Since 2013, there have been 460 reported cases of sarcoptic mange in an urban population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes () in Bakersfield, CA, with many of them resulting in fatality. As part of a multifaceted response to mitigate mange-caused mortalities and reduce this conservation threat, a 2-yr randomized field trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of long-acting flumethrin collars against sarcoptic mange in kit foxes.

Molecular epidemiology of a fatal sarcoptic mange epidemic in endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica).

Background: In 2013, sarcoptic mange, caused by Sarcoptes scabiei mites, precipitated a catastrophic decline of the formerly stable urban population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) in Bakersfield, California, USA. In 2019, a smaller sarcoptic mange outbreak affected kit foxes 58 km southwest of Bakersfield in the town of Taft, California. To determine whether the Taft outbreak could have occurred as spillover from the Bakersfield outbreak and whether epidemic control efforts must involve not only kit foxes but also sympatric dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), coyotes (Canis latrans), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), we evaluated genotypes and gene flow among mites collected from each host species.

Assessing the role of dens in the spread, establishment and persistence of sarcoptic mange in an endangered canid.

Sarcoptic mange is a skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei that can devastate populations of wild species. S. scabiei can survive off-host and remain infective for specific periods.

Hematologic and Serum Chemistry values of Endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes ( Vulpes macrotis mutica) with Sarcoptic Mange.

A fatal outbreak of sarcoptic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei in San Joaquin kit foxes ( Vulpes macrotis mutica) in Bakersfield, California, US is causing the once-stable population to decline. Given the fatality of the disease in this already-endangered species experiencing continued population declines, city-wide interventions are underway. To optimize medical management of mange-infested kit foxes, we documented serum biochemistry and hematology values for 11 kit foxes with mange collected from January-May 2015 and compared them to historical data from 18 healthy Bakersfield kit foxes.

Comparison of Flea (Siphonaptera) Burdens on the Endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica (Carnivora, Canidae)) Inhabiting Urban and Nonurban Environments in Central Valley, California.

The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica Merriam (Carnivora, Canidae)) is an endangered small carnivore endemic to the San Joaquin Valley of California. Commercial and agricultural land expansion has contributed to the species' decline and invasion of more cosmopolitan species, providing means for potential ecological shifts in disease vector and host species. Fleas are common ectoparasites that can serve as important indicators of cross-species interactions and disease risk.

SARCOPTIC MANGE IN ENDANGERED KIT FOXES (VULPES MACROTIS MUTICA): CASE HISTORIES, DIAGNOSES, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION.

The San Joaquin kit fox ( Vulpes macrotis mutica) is a federally endangered small carnivore whose distribution is limited to the San Joaquin Valley in central California. Population decline is due to profound habitat loss, and conservation of all remaining populations is critical. A robust urban population occurs in the city of Bakersfield.

Serum chemistry, hematologic, and post-mortem findings in free-ranging bobcats (Lynx rufus) with notoedric mange.

Notoedric mange was responsible for a population decline of bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) in 2 Southern California counties from 2002-2006 and is now reported to affect bobcats in Northern and Southern California. With this study we document clinical laboratory and necropsy findings for bobcats with mange. Bobcats in this study included free-ranging bobcats with mange (n = 34), a control group of free-ranging bobcats without mange (n = 11), and a captive control group of bobcats without mange (n = 19).