PRISM :: Browsing by Author "Kutz, Susan"

Browsing by Author "Kutz, Susan"

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Open Access
An unusual case of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae prosthetic joint infection from the Canadian Arctic: whole genome sequencing unable to identify a zoonotic source
(2019-03-25) Groeschel, Michael; Forde, Taya; Turvey, Shannon; Joffe, A. M; Hui, Catherine; Naidu, Prenilla; Mavrot, Fabien; Kutz, Susan; Singh, Ameeta E
Abstract Background Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a zoonotic pathogen that causes erysipeloid and is most frequently associated with exposure to domestic swine. Infection of native and prosthetic joints is a rarely reported manifestation. Case presentation We describe a case of E. rhusiopathiae prosthetic joint infection in a woman with a history of exposure to wild animals in the Canadian Arctic. Patient management involved a 1-stage surgical revision exchange with an antibiotic impregnated cement spacer and 6 weeks of intravenous penicillin G followed by 6 weeks of oral amoxicillin. Ten previously reported cases of E. rhusiopathiae joint infection are reviewed. Recent increases in mortality due to infection with this organism among host animal populations in the Canadian Arctic have generated concern regarding a potential increase in human infections. However, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the organism was unable to identify a zoonotic origin for this case. Conclusions Consideration should be given to E. rhusiopathiae as a cause of joint infections if the appropriate epidemiologic and host risk factors exist. Expanded use of WGS in other potential animal hosts and environmental sources may provide important epidemiologic information in determining the source of human infections.
Open Access
Blood on Filter Paper for Monitoring Caribou Health: Efficacy, Community-Based Collection, and Disease Ecology in Circumpolar Herds
(2012-10-03) Curry, Patricia Sale; Kutz, Susan
Various pathogens of caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus ssp.) have been detected and isolated. Some are important from a human food-safety perspective, but relatively little is known about the health impacts of these agents in Rangifer. This project sought to contribute to the serological detection and understanding of caribou pathogens by examining blood collection on filter paper (FP) as a tool for health monitoring. Filter-paper test performance was evaluated by comparing FP results to matched serum as the relative standard. This was done in nine serological assays (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and virus neutralization) for eight pathogens/groups: Brucella spp., Neospora caninum, West Nile virus (WNV), bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI-3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bovine viral diarrhea virus types I and II. Filter-paper performance in these tests was also assessed under different storage and processing conditions. Performance was comparable to serum (FP sensitivity and specificity ≥80%) within 2 months of collection and, in most assays, after 1 year. Trials demonstrated that FP samples frozen directly upon collection performed comparably to matched serum, and that FP samples failed in the fluorescence polarization assay for Brucella. A serosurvey conducted on 550 animals from seven migratory caribou herds of arctic North America and Greenland revealed relatively high overall seroprevalence for Pestivirus (28%), BHV-1 (25%), and PI-3 (7%), and lower-than-expected prevalence for Brucella and Toxoplasma gondii. No animals tested positive for WNV or BRSV. In the two Greenland herds, only two animals were positive for one pathogen (BHV-1). Filter-paper blood sampling was implemented in hunter-based wildlife health-monitoring programs in arctic communities of Canada. Interviews with harvesters revealed strong interest in wildlife disease, moderate interest in hunter sampling, and hunter acceptance of the FP method. Findings also identified potential cultural barriers to hunter sampling of wildlife, and challenges regarding program impact and sustainability. This research validates a diagnostic field tool for multiple serological assays in Rangifer, and adds new knowledge about pathogen exposure in caribou, and about community engagement in research. It is relevant to other wildlife species, other hunter-based monitoring programs, and other community-based initiatives in the North and potentially worldwide.
Open Access
Caribou Conservation Guided, Enacted, and Embodied by Inuinnait and the Killinikmiut Tuktuit
(2024-05-13) Hanke, Andrea; Kutz, Susan; Adams, Cindy; Henderson, Rita; Blue, Gwendolyn; Leclerc, Lisa-Marie; Wilson, Warren; Snook, Jamie; Dumond, Amanda
The fields of environmental and wildlife conservation are working to increase the complexity of their approaches to knowledge in the face of increasing conservation precarity and recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Epistemic plurality, the focus of many strategies and initiatives, acknowledges the validity and value of multiple ways of knowing, recognizing that a more holistic understanding may be reached by drawing from multiple ways of knowing. In the central Canadian Arctic, Inuinnait share a rich cultural history as a distinct collective of Inuit, including their connection to the Killinikmiut Tuktuit. This herd, also known as the “Dolphin and Union” (DU) caribou herd or Island caribou, is a unique ecotype of caribou who characteristically summers on Victoria Island (Killinik), winters on the adjacent mainland, and crosses the adjoining sea ice during their fall and spring migrations. Conservation of this herd occurs under co-management and must incorporate multiple ways of knowing to make the best decisions for the caribou, the people, and the land. In this thesis, I sought to support the co-management partners for the Killinikmiut Tuktuit by advancing our collaborative understanding of the status and trends of the Killinikmiut Tuktuit with Inuinnait Knowledge and how Inuinnait Knowledge around the Killinikmiut Tuktuit is situated. Through a series of interviews with Inuinnait in Kugluktuk, Ekaluktutiak, and Ulukhaktok, I documented information on Inuinnait systems of knowing caribou, their expected variations, and their combined strengths. This information provides insight into how Inuinnait knowledge must be treated and respected when considered in management decisions. I also documented information on caribou systems, their expected variations, and their current adaptations. This information addresses knowledge gaps in the Killinikmiut Tuktuit management plan and has already supported important conservation decisions. This thesis provides important examples in the processes of negotiations and accommodation, both which are necessary for community-based, collaborative research. More broadly, the research advances the practice of epistemic plurality and supports the implementation of Indigenous/Inuit-led policy documents.
Open Access
Climate Change and Range Expansion of Protostrongylid Nematodes in the Canadian Arctic
(2018-09-19) Kafle, Pratap; Kutz, Susan; Checkley, Sylvia L.; Massolo, Alessandro; Lejeune, Manigandan
Through this doctoral research, I aimed to determine the diversity, distribution and abundances of protostrongylids in muskoxen and caribou from several sites in Subarctic and Arctic Canada and investigate the northward range expansion of Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis and Varestrongylus eleguneniensis in relation to Arctic warming. I first developed morphological keys to differentiate the first stage larvae (L1) of U. pallikuukensis, V. eleguneniensis and Parelaphostrongylus andersoni. This enabled me to identify L1 to the species level and determine the intensity of infections. Secondly, I analyzed over 1600 muskox and caribou fecal samples, and 40 muskox lung samples to determine the diversity, distribution and abundance patterns of protostrongylids. I found that the diversity and abundance of protostrongylids varied geographically. Both U. pallikuukensis and V. eleguneniensis had expanded their ranges and increased in abundance on Victoria Island between 2013 and 2017, with U. pallikuukensis expanding its range faster than V. eleguneniensis. I also detected P. andersoni in the Dolphin and Union caribou herd. In the third part of the study, I determined the important life cycle parameters for U. pallikuukensis and V. eleguneniensis through lab experiments. I demonstrated that V. eleguneniensis has higher thermal requirements for larval development inside the intermediate host, a shorter prepatent and patent period, and lower fecundity than U. pallikuukensis. Based on these findings I hypothesized that higher thermal requirements and lower fecundity might be limiting the rate and extent of range expansion for V. eleguneniensis. Finally, to map the thermal niches of U. pallikuukensis and V. eleguneniensis from 1980 through to 2017, I parametrized a process-based mechanistic model (Degree-day model) using data derived from the lab experiments, the literature, and high-resolution temperature data from a regional climate model. Models indicated a substantial expansion in the zones of climatic suitability for both parasites during the study period with the realized niches of both parasites lagging behind the expansion of their thermal niches. This work contributes to the field of Arctic parasitology by providing simple and effective diagnostic tools for protostrongylids, and adding to the present knowledge on diversity, distribution, abundance as well as ecology of protostrongylid nematodes. Finally, by using a multifaceted approach to investigate the patterns of parasite emergence in the Arctic, this study contributes to the overall understanding of disease emergence in a rapidly changing ecosystem.
Open Access
Contributions to the Biodiversity and Biogeography of the Genus Varestrongylus Bhalerao, 1932 (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae), Lungworms of Ungulates, with Emphasis on a New Nearctic Species
(2015-05-01) Gomes Verocai, Guilherme; Kutz, Susan
Explorations of parasite biodiversity and biogeography are essential for elucidating evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes that shaped the biosphere. Among relevant nematode parasites of ungulates are species within the family Protostrongylidae Leiper, 1926 (Strongylida: Metastrongyloidea), which often cause pulmonary, muscular or neurological diseases in their hosts. The finding of a novel protostrongylid species infecting North American ungulates in 2007 demonstrated that the knowledge of the biodiversity of this group remained incomplete, despite the substantial advances in recent decades. Through my thesis research I focused on developing and understanding the biodiversity, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeography of the genus Varestrongylus Bhalerao, 1932 (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae), lungworms of cervids and caprine bovids. To do this, I first explored the validity of existing species, and have resurrected and redescribed Varestrongylus alces Demidova & Naumitscheva, 1953 of the Eurasian moose from Europe. Secondly, I described Varestrongylus eleguneniensis Verocai, Kutz, Simard & Hoberg, 2014. This new species primarily infects caribou, but also muskoxen and, rarely moose across a vast range in North America. By exploring the relationships among Varestrongylus species, I have developed a phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus and for co-evolution and biogeography of this host-parasite assemblage. Varestrongylus has a complex history, characterized by multiple events of host-switching and geographic expansion. Moreover, through a geographically wide assessment of the distribution of V. eleguneniensis in caribou, muskoxen and moose populations across North America I have established baselines for future studies monitoring the geographic distribution of a lungworm species. This work also provides a foundation for understanding historical and current processes affecting the biogeography of host-parasite assemblages. The present work is an original contribution to the field by adding to the present knowledge on taxonomy and biodiversity of this relevant group of parasites, to the general understanding of the formation of host-parasite assemblages, and the colonization of North America by both parasites and hosts. Ultimately, by understanding the historical and contemporary processes that have lead to current biogeography of V. eleguneniensis, this work can be used for predicting future trends on the distribution, host-associations and biogeography of V. eleguneniensis under a scenario of rapid climate change.
Open Access
Correction to: Temperature-dependent development and freezing survival of protostrongylid nematodes of Arctic ungulates: implications for transmission
(2018-08-02) Kafle, Pratap; Peacock, Stephanie J; Grond, Sarah; Orsel, Karin; Kutz, Susan
Unfortunately, the original version of this article [1] contained an error.
Open Access
Detecting Dermacentor albipictus, the winter tick, at the northern extent of its range: Hunter-based monitoring and serological assay development
(2013-04-29) Kashivakura, Cyntia Kayo; Kutz, Susan; Duignan, Padraig
Dermacentor albipictus is an important parasite of moose and other ungulate species. In 1989, winter ticks were reported as far north as 62° N, but recent anecdotal reports of clinically affected moose in the Sahtu Settlement Area, NT suggested significant range expansion. This research aimed to determine the occurrence of D. albipictus on moose and caribou hides from the Sahtu submitted by local hunters, to investigate growth and development of winter ticks on captive reindeer, and to develop a serological assay to detect antibodies to ticks using cattle as a model. Winter ticks were confirmed in 5 of 30 moose at 66° N. The development of ticks on captive reindeer was similar to that reported in moose. There was no consistent pattern in antibody response after exposure to ticks. Future studies should continue monitoring to understand the potential risks of this parasite to infest caribou under a changing climate.
Open Access
Developing a Systematic Sampling Framework for Terrestrial Gastropods in the Canadian Arctic
(2016) Sullivan, Joshua; Kutz, Susan; Kutz, Susan; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen; Massolo, Alessandro; Nishi, John
Two protostrongylid parasites of Arctic ungulates, Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis and Varestrongylus eleguneniensis, were recently discovered in muskoxen on Victoria Island, Nunavut. The subsequent range expansion and increasing prevalence of these lungworms on the island suggested that the temperature-dependent rate of larval development in the gastropod intermediate host was no longer constraining their range to the Arctic mainland. Thus, to determine if the ecology of the gastropod intermediate host would facilitate or restrict the further expansion and establishment of these parasites, a better understanding of the distribution, diversity and abundance of terrestrial gastropods on Victoria Island was needed. However, a description of the efficacy of gastropod sampling techniques on the tundra was lacking. Therefore, my research describes the first strategic sampling framework for assessing gastropod ecology in the Arctic. Additionally, I analyzed the influence of extrinsic factors on gastropod capture rates and described new geographical records for the intermediate host, Deroceras laeve. Keywords: Arctic, Gastropod, Deroceras laeve, Intermediate Host, Protostrongylidae
Open Access
Development of Dynamic Indicators of Resilience in Wild Rodent (Peromyscus maniculatus)
(2024-08-26) Casper, Erin; Pruvot, Mathieu; Kutz, Susan; Mastromonaco, Gabriela
One of the primary reasons for global species decline is environmental disturbance which pose multiple stressors on wildlife populations. However, understanding the complex effects of multiple stressors has been difficult to assess. Resilience, or the ability of a system to cope with disturbance, may pose as a framework to assess the effects of multiple stressors on individuals. To develop a method to measure the resilience of individuals, physiological and immunological markers downstream of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis were assessed for use as dynamic indicators of resilience (DIORs) in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Candidate markers were assessed for the presence of a dynamic response to acute stress, and if that dynamic response changed under the influence of chronic stressors, indicating a change in individual resilience. To complete these objectives, a standardized sampling method was optimized, and markers were assessed for the presence of a consistent dynamic response profile and intraindividual repeatability. This refined the methodology that was needed to test candidate markers for use as DIORs. Next, we investigated how this response changed for each marker after animals had experienced different types and numbers of chronic stressors. We observed that effects of different types of stressors were not additive, and that the interaction between different types of stressors may be antagonistic. To determine if these markers could be used as DIORs, individual changes to their response and recovery slopes were compared after stress treatments to assess if these metrics could indicate change in individual resilience. We did not observe a decrease in recovery rate in any marker after treatment. We attributed this to the stress treatments not achieving the intensity or duration of stress needed to induce modulation of the HPA-axis. Due to this, it was difficult to make conclusions on the markers tested regarding their use as DIORs. However, this project highlighted key issues within the study design, that if corrected, would allow for a proper assessment of their application. While conclusions about these markers as DIORs could not be made, this study has laid important groundwork in developing testing protocols for biomarkers that may be used as DIORs for free-ranging wildlife populations.
Open Access
Eco-epidemiology of production limiting diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface: beef cattle and elk in southwestern Alberta, Canada
(2014-08-15) Pruvot, Mathieu; Orsel, Karin; Kutz, Susan
The circulation of pathogens at the wildlife-livestock interface have great consequences for conservation, livestock production and public health. In southwestern Alberta, interactions between cattle and elk (Cervus elaphus) can be opportunities for pathogen transmissions. In this study, we explored the inter-species transmission of livestock pathogens between cattle and elk. Diagnostic tests initially developed for cattle were evaluated and adapted for use in elk. The occurrence of five pathogens (Bovine Herpesvirus 1, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis- MAP, Neospora caninum and Fascioloides magna) in geographically overlapping cattle and elk herds was assessed in relation to the pathogen transmission route. Finally, the spatio-temporal patterns of interactions between cattle and elk were described: we first assessed factors influencing the use of cattle pasture by elk, and then defined and measured different types of interactions corresponding to different pathogen characteristics and transmission routes. Only pathogens with indirect transmission routes (MAP, N. caninum, and F. magna) were found in both elk and cattle. Pathogens that persist in the environment, or within intermediate or definitive hosts, may have more opportunities for indirect transmissions, as they do not rely on strict spatio-temporal proximity. This was also illustrated by the increase in interaction rates when the definitions of “interaction” were based on increasing length of pathogen persistence in the environment. Elk avoided cattle presence, except during winter months, possibly increasing direct contacts at this period. When direct contact is necessary for pathogen transmission, specific features of the ranch, such as cultivated hay land, mineral supplements, water sources may also play a critical role by attracting elk on pastures in closer proximity to cattle. This study highlighted the need for the evaluation and validation of diagnostic tools for wildlife species. It contributed to identify the combined effects of pathogen characteristics and inter-species interactions on the transmission of multi-host pathogens. Finally, it identified the benefit of integrating the diversity of pathogen characteristics and life cycles into descriptions of inter-species interaction patterns, and the need for detailed livestock management information to provide reliable assessments of these interactions.
Open Access
Ecology and Transmission Dynamics of Ostertagia gruehneri in Barrenground Caribou
(2012-10-03) Hoar, Bryanne; Kutz, Susan; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen
Climate change in the Arctic is occurring at an accelerated rate and is predicted to alter the ecology of northern ecosystems, including parasite transmission. Barrenground caribou are a keystone species of the tundra and the majority of herds have recently undergone population declines. Ostertagia gruehneri, the most common gastrointestinal parasite of Rangifer tarandus, has been shown to impact the population dynamics of reindeer through decreased food intake, weight loss, and reduced pregnancy rates. Ostertagia gruehneri has a direct life cycle that includes free-living stages. The development and survival rates of this parasite are influenced by climatic factors and its transmission will be affected by climate change. The aim of this research was to investigate how climate change may impact transmission dynamics of O. gruehneri in barrenground caribou. This aim was achieved by developing a more detailed understanding of the life cycle of O. gruehneri and the current transmission patterns within this system. It was expected that the development rate of O. gruehneri would increase and survival rate would decrease with increasing temperatures. Field and laboratory studies, experimental infections of reindeer, and a survey of natural infections in the Bathurst caribou herd were used to study the ecology of O. gruehneri. Results indicate O. gruehneri infective larvae (L3) are available to infect barrenground caribou throughout the first summer, but the migratory behavior of the caribou likely limits exposure risk until the fall. High overwinter survival for both L2 and L3 and nearly 100% larval inhibition may be adaptations to a short growing season and a migratory host, adding important time lags into the system and resulting in a two year transmission pattern. Climate change may increase overall L3 availability by extending the growing season, but increased maximum temperatures are likely to decrease availability midsummer, dividing transmission into spring and fall peaks. Increased development rate and an extended growing season may shift transmission from a two to a one year cycle. This research has highlighted the importance of the short growing season and the migratory host within this system, and the need to simultaneously consider the host, parasite, and environment when determining transmission dynamics.
Open Access
The ecology, and life history evolution of the parasitic nematode Marshallagia marshalli, and its adaptability to extreme conditions
(2019-07-25) Aleuy Young, Oscar; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E.; Kutz, Susan; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Cartar, Ralph V.
Marshallagia marshalli is a very common, but relatively poorly studied, abomasal nematode infecting a variety of wild ungulates in North America. Despite its economic, social and ecological importance little is known about its impact, life history traits and adaptations to cope with environmental extremes. This parasite has a direct life cycle and the development and survival of its free-living stages are directly influenced by climatic factors, thus are likely to be affected by climate change. The overall aim of my thesis was twofold; i) to understand the development, ecology and impact of M. marshalli, and ii) to use M. marshalli as a model species to study the importance of phenotypic plasticity and local thermal adaptation in the interaction of helminths with climate change. I achieved this using a combination of approaches, including the collection of field data, laboratory experiments, and modelling approaches. Marshallagia marshalli was negatively associated with a variety of fitness indicators of Dall’s sheep, including pregnancy rate and body condition. This negative effect also extended to fetal development and sex allocation through a combination of direct and indirect effects on the fetus and the mother. Hatching of M. marshalli occurred primarily as first-stage larvae (L1) in an advanced stage of development. Less frequently, M. marshalli also hatched as third stage larvae (L3) directly from the egg, with this phenomenon being significantly more common at higher temperatures. Free-living larvae of M. marshalli did not feed nor grow as they matured to infective L3. Eggs and unhatched L1 were significantly more tolerant to freezing compared to free-living L1, suggesting that remaining in the egg as L1, and even to the L3 stage, is an adaptation to cope with the extreme environmental conditions that Marshallagia faces across its extensive latitudinal distribution in North America. Finally, temperature dependent development and mortality rates of free-living stages differed among M. marshalli populations, supporting the hypothesis of local thermal adaptation among populations of this species. When these differences were modelled using classic disease modelling approaches complemented with the Metabolic Theory of Ecology I demonstrated that similar temperature variations have differential impacts on the fitness of M. marshalli from different locations. My research has highlighted the impact of M. marshalli on host fitness at different life stages of the host and demonstrated how subtle differences in the life history traits and thermal tolerances of nematodes can have implications for their persistence in extreme environments and in their response to climate change.
Open Access
Gastrointestinal nematodes of western Canadian cervides: molecular diagnostics, faunal baselines and management considerations
(2010) De Bruyn, Nathaniel Pieter; Kutz, Susan; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen
Embargo
Genomic and Virulence Profiling of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Isolated from Widespread Muskox Mortalities in Arctic Archipelago
(2023-04-21) Seru, Lakshmi Vineesha; Niu, Dongyan; Kutz, Susan; Mohamed, Faizal Abdul Careem; Forde, Taya L
Muskoxen are an important food and economic resource for the indigenous people in the Canadian Arctic; however, in recent years this species has experienced substantial disease-related population declines. A single strain (‘Arctic clone’) of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was associated with mass mortalities of muskoxen on Banks and Victoria Islands in 2010-2013, and various wild species on Prince Patrick Island in 2017. In 2021, an outbreak of E. rhusiopathiae was reported for the first time in muskoxen on Ellesmere Island. The predominance of the Arctic clone in the Arctic raises the question of virulence of this lineage. Objectives of this study were to characterize E. rhusiopathiae isolates from Ellesmere Island and identify amino acid sequence variations among 17 virulence genes, pathogenicity islands and prophages among 28 Arctic clone and 31 other closely related E. rhusiopathiae genomes. In addition, unique genetic contents of the Arctic clone that may encode virulence traits were determined via pan-genome wide association studies. Comparison of virulence gene sequences among 59 E. rhusiopathiae genomes offered insights into amino acid variations unique to the Arctic clone. I found that 16 of 17 virulence genes investigated were present and 4 of 17 were highly conserved among all the genomes. Putative virulence gene sequences of adhesin, rhusiopathiae surface protein-A, choline binding protein-B and leucine rich repeat protein had amino acid sequence variants unique to the Arctic clone. These genes encoded proteins that help E. rhusiopathiae to attach to the host endothelial cells and form biofilms. Characterizing pathogenicity islands revealed a novel finding of 12/28 Arctic clone isolates harbouring toxin-B. Toxin-B is an exotoxin produced by Clostridiodes difficile and causes pathogenesis via cytolysis. None of the prophages harboured virulence genes. The core genome alignment of 59 E. rhusiopathiae whole genomes provided evidence that the Arctic clone might be associated with the mortality on Ellesmere Island. The newly isolated E. rhusiopathiae belong to the Arctic clone, which was found to contain unique amino acid sequences for known virulence genes. The Arctic clone may have gained new virulence traits via mobile genetic elements mediated.
Open Access
Hair Biomarkers to Support Barren-ground Caribou Health Monitoring and Management
(2022-06-07) Rakic, Filip; Kutz, Susan; Pruvot, Mathieu; Whiteside, Douglas
Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are a keystone species of Canada, whose population health is a current and future management priority. Many of these historically numerous populations, including the Bluenose-East (BNE) and Dolphin and Union (DU) herds, have severely declined in the last two decades, thus there is an impetus to understand the health status of these populations. Considering the challenges associated with monitoring Arctic wildlife, hair is a practically advantageous sample type that is currently opportunistically collected. I evaluated two biomarkers derived from caribou hair (trace element and cortisol concentrations) in the context of opportunistic monitoring and review the literature to understand how to best orient Rangifer health research into management and conservation. First, I reviewed the most abundant health literature on caribou, the Rangifer infectious disease literature, and documented numerous barriers to health information dissemination and implementation. I then outlined practical solutions to facilitate solutions-oriented Rangifer health research. Second, I examined two biomarkers pertinent to caribou health, hair trace element and hair cortisol concentrations that provide seasonal measures of nutrition and contribute to allostatic load, respectively. I demonstrated that these biomarkers vary between anatomic sampling locations and provided recommendations for future hair collection protocols. Furthermore, I uncovered associations of these biomarkers with sex, season, year, and sampling source that have implications for future monitoring and biomarker interpretation. This work has advanced our understanding of two biomarkers derived from caribou hair, outlined future research avenues to improve the robustness of these monitoring tools, and demonstrated broadly how to better translate caribou health research into management and conservation frameworks.
Open Access
Improved Wildlife Health and Disease Surveillance through the Combined Use of Local Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge
(2018-07-30) Tomaselli, Matilde; Checkley, Sylvia L.; Kutz, Susan; Elkin, Brett; Ribble, Carl Steven; Gerlach, S. Craig
Effective health and disease surveillance of wildlife populations is necessary for evidence-based wildlife management and conservation, as well as for the protection of human and animal health. Wildlife surveillance, however, is often challenging to undertake due to numerous limitations associated with gathering and interpreting field data from free-ranging populations. This thesis illustrates a novel approach to wildlife health surveillance which overcomes these limitations by capitalizing on the experiential-based knowledge of resource users documented with participatory methods and applied in combination with conventional surveillance methods. This participatory approach was developed and applied in – and with the active participation of – the community of Cambridge Bay in the Canadian Arctic to improve veterinary surveillance of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus). In the North, harvesting muskoxen improves food security, the local economy and is connected to local indigenous culture and traditions. In Cambridge Bay, an accurate understanding of muskoxen health was urgently needed due to local concerns of possible declines and disease emergence. A participatory surveillance program composed of different activities which drew on both local knowledge and scientific knowledge was developed. Semi-structured interviews of key informants applied participatory epidemiology techniques to document local knowledge on muskox health, while scientific knowledge was generated by testing samples collected through collaboration with hunters, field investigations, and available archives. Local knowledge of key informants proved critical for filling historic and contemporary knowledge gaps on muskox health, including data on demography, morbidity, mortality and body condition, highlighting its potential to serve as an early warning system for detecting changes in wildlife health. Local knowledge informed the design of targeted scientific studies, and when combined the two knowledge systems reduced the overall uncertainty of the surveillance output. Participation of local resource users throughout the study enabled development of a surveillance adapted to the local context and needs, including customization of surveillance interventions. In addition to producing important information for Cambridge Bay and the local muskox population, this thesis develops the field of participatory wildlife surveillance by illustrating the broader applicability of this approach for enhancing the capacity for health surveillance of other wildlife species, both harvested and not, and in other settings.
Open Access
Leveraging Community-based Samples to Assess Health and Reproduction of Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)
(2023-12-08) Hee, Olivia; Kutz, Susan; Pruvot, Mathieu; Adamczewski, Jan
The muskox (Ovibos moschatus), is a keystone species that is important for ecosystem health, subsistence, and culture. Despite their importance, several populations in the Canadian Arctic have experienced declines. Collaborations with communities and harvesters give us a better understanding of the drivers of these declines, and simultaneously help alleviate some barriers to research in the Arctic. In my thesis, I aimed to refine the use of harvester-based samples to improve muskox health and reproduction monitoring. First, I investigated the use of segmental analyses of guard hairs in muskoxen. I specifically asked whether there was a generalizable guard hair growth rate that could be applied for temporal assessment of biomarkers. To do this, I investigated guard hair growth rates from captive muskoxen over time and across body locations. I found that growth rates were faster than a previously described rate, and that growth rates varied intra-annually and across body locations. These findings indicate that there is not a generalizable guard hair growth rate, and that hair growth patterns at an individual level need to be considered. Second, I evaluated two methods for pregnancy determination in muskoxen: pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) in filter paper samples and fecal progesterone metabolites (FPM). I first tested captive pregnant and non-pregnant muskoxen, and found that measuring PAG was highly accurate for diagnosing pregnancy during gestation. Quantifying FPM concentrations was less specific in early- and late-gestation, but was accurate in mid-winter. PAG levels followed a biphasic pattern during gestation, with a decrease in January, while FPM concentrations were low in early- and late-gestation, and high in winter. I applied these tests to samples collected from wild muskoxen by harvesters from Kugluktuk and Ekaluktutiak, Nunavut, and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories. I observed similar patterns in PAG levels and FPM concentrations, and diagnostic utility, in the wild muskoxen. With practical and reliable tools, we create more robust wildlife health monitoring programs, which in turn supports ecosystem and community health. As the Arctic is experiencing unprecedented changes, wildlife health surveillance is more important than ever to respond effectively to threats to wildlife and human populations.
Open Access
Molecular detection and distribution of Fascioloides magna and its snail host in Elk Island National Park
(2024-09-20) Meyers, Olivia; Pruvot, Mathieu; Kutz, Susan; Gilleard, John; Maraj, Ramona
Giant liver fluke (Fascioloides magna) is a parasitic worm found in wild and domestic ruminants in North America. Infection with F. magna, known as fascioloidiasis, causes liver damage, fibrosis, and inflammation that can negatively impact the fitness of hosts. In Elk Island National Park (EINP), Alberta, Canada, this parasitic disease is suspected to contribute to the ongoing moose population decline. To manage the park’s moose population, fluke control measures, including anthelmintic treatment and environmental control strategies, can reduce the prevalence of fascioloidiasis. However, efficient, targeted interventions require knowledge on the fine-scale distribution of the parasite. In this thesis, I investigated the epidemiology of F. magna to guide an effective and minimally invasive fluke control program in EINP. First, I developed and validated a molecular assay to detect F. magna in freshwater snails. A multiplex qPCR assay was created to specifically target F. magna as well as an internal amplification control endogenous to freshwater snails. I used this assay, along with its constituent singleplex assay, to diagnose F. magna infections in lymnaeid snails from EINP. The singleplex assay proved to be more sensitive than the multiplex, making it a more accurate tool for epidemiological surveys. Stagnicola elodes was identified as an intermediate host species of F. magna in EINP, with an estimated prevalence of 5.8%. Second, I determined the spatial distribution of F. magna and its snail host in EINP and assessed whether environmental factors could predict their occurrence among water bodies. I found that snail hosts for F. magna were generally widespread across the park and were associated with physiochemical and plant-related environmental indicators at water bodies. Snail infections with F. magna were relatively rare, observed at only 12% of sites. Using remote-sensing environmental data, I created fine-scale predictive models to forecast the occurrence of snail hosts and F. magna-infected snails across water bodies. However, these predictive occupancy models demonstrated poor predictive accuracy. This work has contributed a molecular tool for the surveillance of F. magna, explored the utility of ecological niche modeling for the epidemiological control of the parasite, and furthered our understanding of fascioloidiasis in EINP.
Embargo
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in a captive wood bison herd: diagnostics and disease dynamics overtime
(2024-01-23) Hernandez Reyes, Ana Laura; Orsel, Karsina; Kutz, Susan; De Buck, Jeroen; Shury, Todd
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) has been identified in a wide range of domestic and wild ruminants. Captive wildlife can experience JD-related epidemiological scenarios similar to those in cattle. In wood bison (Bison bison athabascae), an iconic and keystone species in Canada, Map DNA has been reported in fecal samples from clinically healthy animals. However, there is apparently no published information regarding clinical presentation of JD and its significance in wood bison. The objective of this study was to determine to what extent Map can affects a captive bison herd located in northeastern Alberta, Canada. The first part of the study was the detection and isolation of Map in clinical cases. Necropsies were performed on six wood bison and 24 samples were collected from each bison. The highest frequency of positive samples was observed with tissue culture 62.5% (90/144) followed by F57/IS900 qPCR 43.1% (56/130), and histopathology 29% (38/131). Distal jejunum and its associated lymph nodes were the most reliable tissue samples for detecting Map, irrespective of tissue autolysis or absence of visible lesions. Strain typing revealed a type II (cattle) strain, second clade. The second part of the study focused on Map status in the herd by obtaining within-herd prevalence, evaluating the impact of a test and cull strategy and potential risk factors associated with Map. At the outset, within-herd prevalence was 4.7% based on IS900/F57 qPCR and 6.8% with IS900 qPCR with culture confirmation. The following year, after we calculated a 56.3% of culling rate of positive animals, the within herd prevalence observed by IS900/F57 qPCR was 4.2% and 9.9% by IS900 qPCR with culture confirmation. Bison in the age group ≥ 6-9 years were more likely to be Map positive. Furthermore, the location with the higher number of animals was significantly associated with being Map positive. Information from this study can contribute to control strategies in the bison herd studied, by obtaining the appropriate tissue samples selection at the necropsy and by targeting the age group most likely to be Map positive. Additionally, based on the prevalence obtained in this study, sampling size calculations can be performed to carry out studies at a herd level. However, it is important to understand that the best strategy to reduce the prevalence of JD depends on specific objectives and characteristics of each bison herd.
Open Access
Participatory science and innovation for improved sanitation and hygiene: process and outcome evaluation of project SHINE, a school-based intervention in Rural Tanzania
(2017-02-07) Hetherington, Erin; Eggers, Matthijs; Wamoyi, Joyce; Hatfield, Jennifer; Manyama, Mange; Kutz, Susan; Bastien, Sheri
Abstract Background Diarrheal disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in low and middle income countries with children being disproportionately affected. Project SHINE (Sanitation & Hygiene INnovation in Education) is a grassroots participatory science education and social entrepreneurship model to engage youth and the wider community in the development of sustainable strategies to improve sanitation and hygiene. Methods Based in rural and remote Tanzania, this pilot study engaged pastoralist high-school students and communities in the development and evaluation of culturally and contextually relevant strategies to improve sanitation and hygiene. Using a train-the-trainer approach, key activities included teacher workshops, school-based lessons, extra-curricular activities, community events and a One Health sanitation science fair which showcased projects related to water, sanitation and hygiene in relation to human and animal health. The process and outcome of the study were evaluated through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with diverse project participants, as well as pre- and post- questionnaires completed by students on knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning sanitation and hygiene. Results The questionnaire results at baseline and follow-up showed statistically significant improvements on key measures including a decrease in unhygienic behaviors, an increase in the perceived importance of handwashing and intention to use the toilet, and increased communication in the social network about the importance of clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene practices, however there were no significant changes in sanitation related knowledge. Qualitative data highlighted strong leadership emerging from youth and enthusiasm from teachers and students concerning the overall approach in the project, including the use of participatory methods. There was a high degree of community engagement with hundreds of community members participating in school-based events. Sanitation science fair projects addressed a range of pastoralist questions and concerns regarding the relationship between water, sanitation and hygiene. Several projects, such as making soap from local materials, demonstrate potential as a sustainable strategy to improve health and livelihoods in the long-term. Conclusions The Project SHINE model shows promise as an innovative capacity building approach and as an engagement and empowerment strategy for youth and communities to develop locally sustainable strategies to improve sanitation and hygiene.