Fatal exudative dermatitis in island populations of red squirrels (): spillover of a virulent clone (ST49) from reservoir hosts.

Fatal exudative dermatitis (FED) is a significant cause of death of red squirrels () on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands where it is associated with a virulent clone of ST49. ST49 has been found in other hosts such as small mammals, pigs and humans, but the dynamics of carriage and disease of this clone, or any other lineage in red squirrels, is currently unknown. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize 228 isolates from healthy red squirrels on Jersey, the Isle of Arran (Scotland) and Brownsea Island (England), from red squirrels showing signs of FED on Jersey and the Isle of Wight (England) and a small number of isolates from other hosts.

Mortalities, amyloidosis and other diseases in free-living red squirrels () on Jersey, Channel Islands.

Between 2007 and 2014, 337 free-living red squirrels () on Jersey, Channel Islands, were examined post mortem as part of a mortality and disease surveillance scheme. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were attributable for 50.7 per cent (171/337) of the casualties, 34.