Distribution of leptospirosis in possums from New Zealand and its offshore islands

Gw, Horner; Dd, Heath; Pe, Cowan

doi:10.1080/00480169.1996.35963

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The serum was separated by centrifugation and submitted to the Central Animal Health laboratory, Wallaceville, New Zealand, for serology. The serological micro‐agglutination test (MAT), using doubling dilutions of serum beginning at 1 : 50, was used to detect the presence of leptospiral antigens (Horner, Heath & Cowan 1996). If no reaction was seen in the 1 : 50 dilution, the result was scored as negative.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating disease transmission in wildlife, with emphasis on leptospirosis and bovine tuberculosis in possums, and effects of fertility control

Caley

Ramsey

2001

Journal of Applied Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary1. We present methods for estimating disease transmission coefficients in wildlife, using Leptospira interrogans infection (a bacterial disease transmitted predominantly during social contacts) in brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula as a model system. 2. Using data from a field experiment conducted on a naturally infected possum population, we estimated disease transmission coefficients assuming either 'densitydependent' or 'frequency-dependent' transmission. 3. A model-selection approach determined that density-dependent transmission was the most appropriate form of the transmission of L. interrogans infection in brushtail possums. 4.We used the chosen model of transmission to examine experimentally the effect of tubally ligating female brushtail possums on the epidemiology of L. interrogans . The estimated transmission coefficient was 28% higher ( P = 0·16) in populations subject to tubal ligation, raising the possibility that fertility control of this type may increase disease transmission rates. 5. Altering mating behaviour through fertility control may have the potential to control diseases such as bovine tuberculosis in brushtail possums, although the potential of fertility control techniques to change disease transmission coefficients and disease epidemiology requires further investigation. This would require models that examine the combined effects of fertility control on population dynamics, social behaviour and disease transmission coefficients simultaneously.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating disease transmission in wildlife, with emphasis on leptospirosis and bovine tuberculosis in possums, and effects of fertility control

Caley

Ramsey

2001

Journal of Applied Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Infection with serovar Balcanica in brushtail possums is characterized by high susceptibility to infection, temporary subclinical effects, low pathogenicity to the host, long-term leptospiruria, and natural transmission within the host species (Hathaway et al, 1981;Day et al, 1997). In New Zealand, seropreva-lence varies greatly; up to 80% of adults test positive on the North Island, whereas leptospirosis appears to be absent from brushtail possums on the South Island (Horner et al, 1996). In Australia, antibodies to serovar Hardjo were detected in the state of Victoria (Durfee and Presidente, 1979) and in southeastern Australia (Milner et al, 1981).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Leptospirosis Serology in the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) from Urban Sydney, Australia

Eymann

Smythe

Symonds

et al. 2007

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…At each bimonthly trapping occasion, captured possums had approximately 5 ml of blood drawn from a tail vein. We determined the presence of L. balcanica infection in each sample using a serological microagglutination test (MAT), using doubling dilutions of serum beginning at 1:50, to determine the presence of leptospiral antigens (Horner et al 1996). If we saw no reaction in the 1:50 dilution, we scored the result as negative (e.g., Caley and Ramsey 2001).…”

Section: Disease Transmissionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Fertility Control on Behavior and Disease Transmission in Brushtail Possums

Ramsey

2007

J Wildl Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fertility control is currently under development for the control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), one of New Zealand's most serious vertebrate pests. Despite intensive research into various methods for achieving infertility, including immunocon‐traception and disrupting endocrine control of reproduction, researchers know little about the potential effects of these methods on the behavior of wild possums. We assessed the effects of surgically imposed sterility, either to block fertilization (tubal ligation) or to disrupt endocrine control of fertility (gonadectomy), by using radiotelemetry on the movement patterns and site fidelity of wild brushtail possums. In addition, we assessed the effect of gonadectomy on the transmission rate of a commonly occurring, directly transmitted pathogen in possums, Leptospira interrogans serovar balcanica (hereafter L. balcanica), to determine the effect of any behavioral changes on possum contact rates. Both tubal ligation and gonadectomy of females did not appear to have any appreciable effect on behavior, with sterilized females having space‐use patterns and fidelity to seasonal breeding ranges similar to those of fertile females. However, gonadectomy of male possums resulted in a significant reduction of 42% and 47% in the 95% and 70% isopleth seasonal breeding ranges, respectively. Furthermore, the transmission rate of L. balcanica in gonadectomized male and female possums was reduced by 88% and 63%, respectively, compared with that in fertile male and female possums. Overall, these results suggest that fertility control, either by blocking fertilization (e.g., immunocontraception) or by disrupting endocrine control of reproduction (e.g., gonadotropin‐releasing hormone vaccines), is unlikely to have an impact on social organization and behavior of brushtail possums in ways that may compromise the efficacy of fertility control for reducing population density. However, the reduction in the transmission rate of L. balcanica indicates that fertility control that interferes with endocrine control of reproduction is likely to reduce the contact rate between possums. This could have implications for the control of other wildlife diseases requiring direct contact for transmission.

show abstract

Distribution of leptospirosis in possums from New Zealand and its offshore islands

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

Estimating disease transmission in wildlife, with emphasis on leptospirosis and bovine tuberculosis in possums, and effects of fertility control

Estimating disease transmission in wildlife, with emphasis on leptospirosis and bovine tuberculosis in possums, and effects of fertility control

Leptospirosis Serology in the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) from Urban Sydney, Australia

Effects of Fertility Control on Behavior and Disease Transmission in Brushtail Possums

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About