1,721,074 research outputs found
Recent alveolar echinococcosis cases in north America mandate further investigation
Full text linkLette
Factors affecting habitat occupancy by wolves in northern Apennines (northern Italy): A model of habitat suitability
No full textThe expansion of the wolf population all over Europe has posed problems on wolf-man coexistence in those areas where the wolf was not present for a long time. Breeding activities are now threatened by high predation on livestock. We investigated the relationship between wolf and its habitat, in order to evaluate wolf habitat suitability and to predict its presence. The study areas covered 3289 km2. A 23 km2 grid was used to identify 143 sample squares. For each sample square 58 habitat variables were measured from land-use (1:25000), and from topographical maps. Wolf presence (4 classes) was assessed by scat collection, direct observations, snow tracking, wolf-howling, and predation records. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out to investigate the influence of habitat features on wolf presence. The habitat suitability model was based on two different equations: a dichotomous logistic regression model, and a polytomous one. The first one discriminated between suitable and unsuitable habitats, and its predictions were confirmed in 93% of grouped cases; the second provided predicted values of wolf presence that were concordant with the observed response levels in 82.5% of contrasts. Both models underlined the importance of three factors in determining wolf habitat suitability: wild prey abundance, human presence and forest cover. RI Massolo, Alessandro/I-3437-201
A review on invasions by parasites with complex life cycles: The European strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in North America as a model
Full text linkIn a fast-changing and globalized world, parasites are moved across continents at an increasing pace.Co-invasion of parasites and their hosts is leading to the emergence of infectious diseases at a global scale, underlining the need for integration of biological invasions and disease ecology research.In this review, the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing the invasion process of parasites with complex life cycles were analyzed, using the invasion of the European strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in North America as a model.The aim was to propose an ecological framework for investigating the invasion of parasites that are trophically transmitted through predator-prey interactions, showing how despite the complexity of the cycles and the interactions among multiple hosts, such parasites can overcome multiple barriers and become invasive Identifying the key ecological processes affecting the success of parasite invasions is an important step for risk assessment and development of management strategies, particularly for parasites with the potential to infect people (i.e.zoonotic)
A global assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis infections in domestic dogs: proposing a framework to overcome past methodological heterogeneity
Full text linkEchinococcus multilocularis, the aetiological agent of human Alveolar Echinococcosis, is transmitted between small mammals and wild or domestic canids. Dogs infected with E. multilocularis as dead-end hosts. Whereas E. multilocularis infections in wild hosts and humans have been well-studied in recent decades, infections in domestic dogs are sparsely reported. This literature review and meta-analysis highlighted gaps in the available data and provided a re-assessment of the global distribution of domestic dog E. multilocularis infections. We found 46 published articles documenting the prevalence of E. multilocularis in domestic dogs from 21 countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Apparent prevalence estimates ranged from 0.00% (0.00–0.33%) in Germany to 55.50% (26.67–81.12%) in China. Most studies were conducted in areas of high human Alveolar Echinococcosis. By accounting for reassessed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, we estimated true prevalence in a subset of studies, which varied between 0.00% (0.00–12.42%) and 41.09% (21.12–65.81%), as these true prevalence estimates were seldom reported in the articles themselves. Articles also showed a heavy emphasis on rural dogs, dismissing urban ones, which is concerning due to the role urbanisation plays in the transmission of zoonotic diseases, especially those utilising pets as definitive hosts. Lastly, population studies on canine Alveolar Echinococcosis were absent, highlighting the relative focus on human rather than animal health. We thus developed a framework for investigating domestic dog E. multilocularis infections and performing risk assessment of dog-associated transmission to fill the gaps found in the literature
Spatiotemporal features of tundra ecosystems influencing the abundance of grizzly bears inhabiting the barren-grounds of the Canadian Central Arctic
No full textTemporal Features of Tundra Ecosystems Best Predict the Density of Barren-Ground Grizzly Bears
No full textLong-term comparison of the efficacy of adding sublingual immunotherapy or montelukast in birch-induced asthma
No full textThe dynamics of giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna, at the wildlife-livestock interface
No full textLong-lasting effects of sublingual immunotherapy according to its duration: a 15-year prospective study.
No full text- …
