Samples (blood or tissue fluid) from 594 arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus), 390 Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), 361 sibling voles (Microtus rossiaemeridionalis), 17 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), 149 barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis), 58 kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and 27 glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) from Svalbard and nearby waters were assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii using a direct agglutination test. The proportion of seropositive animals was 43% in arctic foxes, 7% in barnacle geese, and 6% (1 of 17) in walruses. There were no seropositive Svalbard reindeer, sibling voles, glaucous gulls, or kittiwakes. The prevalence in the arctic fox was relatively high compared to previous reports from canid populations. There are no wild felids in Svalbard and domestic cats are prohibited, and the absence of antibodies against T. gondii among the herbivorous Svalbard reindeer and voles indicates that transmission of the parasite by oocysts is not likely to be an important mechanism in the Svalbard ecosystem. Our results suggest that migratory birds, such as the barnacle goose, may be the most important vectors bringing the parasite to Svalbard. In addition to transmission through infected prey and carrion, the age-seroprevalence profile in the fox population suggests that their infection levels are enhanced by vertical transmission.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.09.006 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Concurrent severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus outbreaks on multiple fox farms, China, 2023.
Emerg Microbes Infect
December 2025
Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
The role of farmed animals in the viral spillover from wild animals to humans is of growing importance. Between July and September of 2023 infectious disease outbreaks were reported on six Arctic fox () farms in Shandong and Liaoning provinces, China, which lasted for 2-3 months and resulted in tens to hundreds of fatalities per farm. Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV) was identified in tissue/organ and swab samples from all the 13 foxes collected from these farms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStructural profile and diversity of immunoglobulin genes in the Arctic Fox.
Vet J
December 2024
College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China. Electronic address:
Immunoglobulins are important components of humoral immunity and play a crucial role in protecting the body from external antigens. The Arctic fox is an important member of furbearer farming, but due to the lack of research on the immune system of the Arctic fox, animal welfare regarding Arctic fox farming has still not received enough attention. In this study, we used the Arctic fox as a research subject, described the gene locus structure of the Arctic fox immunoglobulin germline by genome comparison, and analysed the mechanism of expression diversity of the antibody pool of the Arctic fox by rapid amplification of cDNA 5' ends and high-throughput sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWnt5a negatively regulates melanogenesis in primary Arctic fox epidermal melanocytes.
Gene
January 2025
College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Special Animal Germplasm Resources Mining and Innovation, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004, China. Electronic address:
Melanocytes, which are mainly found in the epidermis, are responsible for the melanin of skin and hair, and thereby contribute to the appearance of skin and provide protection from damage by ultraviolet radiation. Our previous study revealed that the Wnt5a, one of the many genes that affect melanin production, might be involved in the coat color seasonal change of the Arctic fox by influencing skin melanogenesis. Although the role of Wnt5a in melanocyte lines and melanoma cells has been extensively studied, its role in primary epidermal melanocytes has not been explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of indirect interspecific effects in the stochastic dynamics of a simple trophic system.
J Anim Ecol
December 2024
Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Indirect interspecific effects (IIEs) occur when one species affects another through a third intermediary species. Understanding the role of IIEs in population dynamics is key for predicting community-level impacts of environmental change. Yet, empirically teasing apart IIEs from other interactions and population drivers has proven challenging and data-demanding, particularly in species-rich communities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStrongly deleterious mutations influence reproductive output and longevity in an endangered population.
Nat Commun
September 2024
Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Inbreeding depression has been documented in various fitness traits in a wide range of species and taxa, however, the mutational basis is not yet well understood. We investigate how putatively deleterious variation influences fitness and is shaped by individual ancestry by re-sequencing complete genomes of 37 individuals in a natural arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) population subjected to both inbreeding depression and genetic rescue. We find that individuals with high proportion of homozygous loss of function genotypes (LoFs), which are predicted to exert a strong effect on fitness, generally have lower lifetime reproductive success and live shorter lives compared with individuals with lower proportion of LoFs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!