Domestic dog and alien North American mink as reservoirs of infectious diseases in the endangered Southern river otter

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Macarena Barros
Daniel J. Pons
Andrea Moreno
Juliana Vianna
Barbara Ramos
Fernando Dueñas
Cristina Coccia
Roberto Saavedra-Rodríguez
Alexis Santibañez
Gonzalo Medina-Vogel

Abstract

Introduced alien carnivores are host to infectious diseases that may become an important threat for native carnivore species conservation. Canine distemper virus (CDV) is thought to be transmitted among individuals by direct contact and to present viral dynamics associated with a density-dependent multi-host carnivore community. In contrast, Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is mostly transmitted by indirect contact and does not depend only on the density, but also on the social behaviour of infected as well as susceptible hosts. The objective of this study was to assess how introduced American mink (Neovison vison) can act as a bridge-host between domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and Southern river otter (Lontra provocax) in different dog and mink population density scenarios. Our data show that otters are seropositive to both CDV and PV, as well as a molecular identity to Parvovirus in dogs and minks. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation between dog population density and observed seroprevalence of CDV in dogs, minks, and otters was recorded. For Parvovirus, the observed seroprevalence in mink and otters was not correlated to a higher dog population density, but instead a relationship between dog and mink population densities and social behaviour. Our results suggest that introduced American mink and domestic dogs are reservoirs of CDV and PV, both being diseases of major importance for the conservation of native endangered carnivores in Patagonia.

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How to Cite
Barros, M., Pons, D. J., Moreno, A., Vianna, J., Ramos, B., Dueñas, F., Coccia, C., Saavedra-Rodríguez, R., Santibañez, A., & Medina-Vogel, G. (2022). Domestic dog and alien North American mink as reservoirs of infectious diseases in the endangered Southern river otter. Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 54(2), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0719-81322022000200065
Section
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Author Biographies

Macarena Barros, Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Daniel J. Pons, Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Andrea Moreno, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Juliana Vianna, Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Barbara Ramos, Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Fernando Dueñas, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Cristina Coccia, Centro de Investigación Bahía Lomas, Universidad Santo Tomás, Tierra del Fuego, Chile; Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Sevilla, España.

Centro de Investigación Bahía Lomas, Universidad Santo Tomás, Tierra del Fuego, Chile.
Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Sevilla, España.

Roberto Saavedra-Rodríguez, Programa de Doctorado en Conservación y Gestión de la Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Chile.

Programa de Doctorado en Conservación y Gestión de la Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Chile.

Alexis Santibañez, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Osorno, Chile.

Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Osorno, Chile.

Gonzalo Medina-Vogel, Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.