HEALTH SURVEY OF FREE-RANGING RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR) IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA: IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMAL HEALTH

Abstract

We conducted health assessments on 113 free-ranging raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) in Central Park, New York City, US, in February 2010, September 2010, and November 2011 in conjunction with a trap-vaccinate-release program to control a raccoon rabies epizootic. Five individuals were sampled at two time points for 118 raccoon examinations in total. We tested 13 of 13 and 8 of 13 euthanized raccoons for rabies and canine distemper virus (CDV), respectively, by antigen testing on brain tissue; all were negative for both viruses. Endoparasitism was the most common necropsy finding, with definitive identification of Baylisascaris procyonis in six of eight (75%) necropsied raccoons. Multiple intestinal parasites were detected in feces of living raccoons, including ascarid-type ova in 25 of 80 (31%) raccoons, with B. procyonis confirmed in one sample. Median blood lead level was 7.3 μg/dL (n=104). Rabies virus neutralizing antibody titer was ≥0.5 IU/mL in 9 of 88 (10%) raccoons naive to rabies vaccination and in 13 of 20 (65%) previously vaccinated raccoons. The majority of raccoons we tested were seropositive for canine parvovirus-2 (54/59, 92%) and Toxoplasma gondii (39/60, 65%). Fewer were seropositive for Rickettsia rickettsii (3/30, 10%). None were seropositive for CDV (n=108), canine adenovirus-1 (n=60), or Borrelia burgdorferi (n=30). Ectoparasites found during 16 of 118 (13.6%) physical examinations included Ixodes texanus ticks (15/118, 12.7%) and Trichodectes octomaculatus lice (1/118, 0.8%). We detected Campylobacter jejuni in 5 of 79 (6%) fecal samples. We detected 11 Salmonella enterica serotypes in 70 of 111 (63.1%) enteric cultures, the most common of which were Salmonella Newport (20/70, 29%) and Salmonella Oranienburg (20/70, 29%). These results indicate that raccoons in Central Park likely are involved in the environmental occurrence and potential disease transmission of a variety of infectious and noninfectious diseases of concern for human, wildlife, and domestic animal health.

Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni in raccoons (Procyon lotor) on swine farms and in conservation areas in southern Ontario

“…The overall prevalence of Campylobacter among raccoons sampled in our study was high (46.3%) in comparison with previous research examining free‐ranging raccoons in urban areas in Japan (1.3%) and New York City (6%; Lee et al., 2011; Rainwater et al., 2017). However, a similar prevalence was found among raccoons trapped on swine, beef and dairy farms in the same geographic region in 2010 (40.8%; Viswanathan et al., 2017a).…”

“…Among wildlife species, wild birds have received the most attention as potential sources of Campylobacter in previous source attribution research (Greig et al., 2015); not only is Campylobacter widely recognized as a commensal organism in birds, but the highly mobile nature of birds may facilitate the transmission and dissemination of Campylobacter between different components of the ecosystem (Reed et al, 2003). Until recently, medium‐sized mammalian species such as raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) had received little attention in this area of research (Lee et al., 2011; Mutschall et al., 2020; Rainwater et al., 2017). Due to their prevalent populations within both urban and rural environments, and their propensity to interact with domestic animals and humans, raccoons may represent an important link in the epidemiology of Campylobacter within the ecosystem.…”

Salmonellosis detection and evidence of antibiotic resistance in an urban raccoon population in a highly populated area, Costa Rica

“…Previous reports from varying temperate zone urban, rural and natural environments have provided contradictory results as to the prevalence of Salmonella serovars in raccoons (Compton et al, ; Jardine et al, ; Lee et al, ; Rainwater et al, ; Very et al, ). In tropical urban settings, we found S. Hartford to have the highest prevalence followed by S. Typhimurium and S. Bovismorbificans.…”

Campylobacter jejuni Strain Dynamics in a Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Population in Southern Ontario, Canada: High Prevalence and Rapid Subtype Turnover

“…Indeed, given the practical limitations imposed by potential delays in sample processing (3-11 days) due to shipping of fecal swabs from the study site (Guelph, Ontario) to the laboratory where microbiological work was carried out (Lethbridge, Alberta), it is very likely that our prevalence estimates underestimate true prevalence rates in this raccoon population. By contrast, studies from Japan and New York found only 1.3 and 6% of raccoons carried Campylobacter, respectively (32,44). There are a limited number of studies systematically examining Campylobacter in raccoons or other medium sized mammals.…”