Gray Fox Response to Baits and Attractants for Oral Rabies Vaccination

Steelman, H. Grant; Henke, Scott E.; Moore, Guy M.

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-34.4.764

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…A significant aspect of recent ORV development has been efforts aimed at evaluating different bait types, bait attractants, and delivery methods in order to maximize vaccine bait discovery and ingestion by vector species (Linhart et al, 1997b;Farry et al, 1998aFarry et al, , 1998bSteelman et al, 1998Steelman et al, , 2000. In the United States, the extruded fish meal polymer bait for raccoons (Procyon lotor) and coyotes (Bait-Tek, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, USA) has evolved as the current bait of choice for both species (Hanlon et al, 1989;Fearneyhough et al, 1998;Olson et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Flavor-Coated Sachet Bait for Delivering Oral Rabies Vaccine to Raccoons and Coyotes

Linhart

Wlodkowski²,

Kavanaugh

et al. 2002

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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Research was conducted during 1996-2000 to develop baits for delivering an oral rabies vaccine to raccoons (Procyon lotor) and coyotes (Canis latrans). A bait was sought that: (1) was attractive to the target species, (2) could be distributed by aircraft, (3) was as effective (or more so) than the currently used fish meal polymer bait, and (4) could be produced in large numbers by automated procedures and could be purchased by user groups at substantially lower cost.Ten field trials were conducted to document raccoons' bait flavor preferences, evaluate a new vaccine sachet bait coated with various attractants, and determine if the sachet bait would effectively deliver Raboral V-RG oral rabies vaccine (Merial Limited, Athens, Georgia, USA) to this species. Raccoons preferred fish and crustacean-based flavors over those derived from plant materials. Raccoon visits to tracking stations, frequency of bait removals, and percent of sachets discarded by this species that were emptied of placebo vaccine indicated efficacy of the new bait was equal or superior to the currently used fish meal polymer bait. A field trial conducted in fall 1998 compared aerially distributed vaccine-laden sachet and polymer baits and showed there was no difference between the percent of raccoons from the test and reference areas subsequently found positive for rabies antibody.Four bait trials to determine coyote response to sachet baits were conducted in 1997-98. The propensity for canids to gulp or bolt smaller food items is well known. Thus, a first trial involved offering fish-flavored sachet baits of different sizes to 30 captive coyotes to determine if smaller size baits were more frequently swallowed intact. Two field trials were also conducted in fall 1997 to determine if free-ranging coyotes discriminated among sachet baits coated with different attractants. Finally, Raboral V-RG-laden poultry-flavored sachet baits were aerially dropped and the percent of seropositive coyotes was compared with coyotes from surrounding areas where fish meal polymer vaccine baits had been distributed.Captive coyotes did not swallow sachet baits intact, regardless of size. Bait preference field trials indicated that coyotes preferred poultry, cheese/beef tallow, and fish-flavored sachet baits and that such baits were taken at the same rate as polymer baits. A sample of coyotes from the area baited with vaccine-laden sachet baits had a markedly higher (P ϭ 0.01) seropositivity rate than coyotes from areas where vaccine was distributed in polymer baits.Sachet bait production could be facilitated by automated technology and sachet baits used either as an alternative vaccine delivery device or in combination with the fish meal polymer bait.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Flavor-Coated Sachet Bait for Delivering Oral Rabies Vaccine to Raccoons and Coyotes

Linhart

Wlodkowski²,

Kavanaugh

et al. 2002

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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“…Therefore, the polymer-based baits would be limited to winter use in central Texas; whereas the marshmallow wax cakes could be used throughout the year. Lastly, gray foxes exhibit chewing behaviors of the wax cake baits that would facilitate ingesting an oral vaccine (Steelman et al, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, it is imperative that a bait and baiting strategy be developed for each target species. Steelman et al (1998) found that gray foxes from central Texas exhibited preferences for marshmallow wax cakes and dog food-based polymer baits with a lard interior and granulated sugar exterior; however, these preferences were determined using captive animals. All baits must be field tested to verify that captivity did not alter typical behavior of gray foxes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bait and odor attractant combinations were selected based upon positive responses of captive gray foxes to a variety of baits and odor attractants (Steelman et al, 1998). Baits included wax-lard cakes with marshmallow icing added as flavoring (Ontario Ministries Natural Resource, Ontario, Canada), and dog food-based and fish meal-based polymer cubes (Bait Tech, Orange, Texas, USA).…”

Section: Baits and Odor Attractantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…grocery stores (San Antonio, Texas, USA) and valeric and butyric acids were obtained from Aldrich Chemical Company (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA). Each bait and odor attractant combination was made, except the fish meal-cheese combination, and completed baits were stored according to Steelman et al (1998).…”

Section: Baits and Odor Attractantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bait Delivery for Oral Rabies Vaccine to Gray Foxes

Steelman

Henke

Moore

2000

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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Rabies is a widespread zoonotic disease that has reached epizootic proportions in gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in central Texas. Because each species of carnivore has different food preferences and foraging strategies, it is essential that the efficacy of a bait delivery program be examined for gray foxes prior to an oral vaccination program being attempted. Field trials were conducted to determine bait preferences of free-ranging gray foxes to selected baits and odor attractants. Baits consisted of polymer cubes made of either dog food meal or fish meal, and a wax-lard cake that was enhanced with marshmallow flavoring. Attractants added to baits exuded sulfurous, fatty, cheesy, or sweet odors and flavors. During 3,589 operable bait station nights, gray fox visitation and bait uptake rates were 9.2% and 8.3%, respectively. Gray foxes exhibited no preference in bait uptake rates between bait and odor attractant combinations. Gray foxes exhibited no difference in cumulative bait uptake rates between onroad and offroad sites; however, the uptake rate by raccoons was significantly greater for baits placed on roads than for baits randomly placed. Raccoons were the major non-target species competing for baits, being attributed with 73% of the total uptake. Visitation and bait uptake rates by raccoons significantly increased after a 7-day lethal removal of raccoons (n ϭ 37) from the study area. Random distribution of baits is recommended; it reduced bait uptake by non-target species without adversely affecting uptake by gray foxes.

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Nematodes parasites of the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus Schreber, 1775) in the seasonally dry tropical highlands of central Mexico

et al. 2010

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The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus Schreber, 1775) is the most abundant and opportunistic wild canid in Mexico. However, the parasites of this canid in Mexico are poorly known, and an intensive parasite survey is lacking. A survey of gray fox parasitological feces was conducted in El Cimatario National Park, a protected area representative of the seasonally dry, tropical highlands of Mexico. Feces were collected in six 1-km-length transects during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2004. The coproparasitoscopical survey registered nine species of nematodes, typical of wild and domestic canids such as Strongyloides stercoralis, Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Dioctophyme renale, Trichuris vulpis, Trichuris sp., and Capillaria sp. Ecological factors such as temperature and humidity appear to play a more important role in the establishment of these species of parasites in this protected area than the presence of domestic dogs.

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Gray Fox Response to Baits and Attractants for Oral Rabies Vaccination

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

A New Flavor-Coated Sachet Bait for Delivering Oral Rabies Vaccine to Raccoons and Coyotes

A New Flavor-Coated Sachet Bait for Delivering Oral Rabies Vaccine to Raccoons and Coyotes

Bait Delivery for Oral Rabies Vaccine to Gray Foxes

Nematodes parasites of the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus Schreber, 1775) in the seasonally dry tropical highlands of central Mexico

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