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Animals
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Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition
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Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Wildlife".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 3065

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ho-Seong Cho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-Safety Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54596, Republic of Korea
Interests: epidemiology; infectious diseases; microbiome; conservation medicine; cancers in wildlife; diagnostic methods; next-generation sequencing; veterinary science; zoonotic diseases; free-ranging wildlife; captive wildlife
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yeonsu Oh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: cancers in wildlife; epidemiology; infectious diseases; microbiome; veterinary science; zoonotic diseases; free-ranging wildlife; captive wildlife
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wildlife is declining globally at an astonishing rate, in terms of both diversity and numbers. To conserve endangered species and species diversity, many species of wild animals are maintained as captive and/or free-ranging animals. While the pros and cons of keeping wildlife this way are still controversial, much focus has been placed on animal welfare through behavioral observations. The need for improved and increased knowledge about the health and disease states of both free-ranging and captive wildlife species is greater than ever.

Considering the success of our previous Special Issue, we are pleased to launch “Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition”. We welcome a range of research types, including case reports on health and disease in free-ranging and captive wildlife; studies documenting disease, including infectious agents, nutritional disorders, toxicologic conditions, and neoplasia; as well as baseline health, microbiome, and clinicopathologic reference range studies. Manuscripts on zoonoses involving wildlife and on the chemical immobilization of wild animals are also welcome. Manuscripts dealing with surveys and case reports may be published provided that they contain significant new information or have significance for a better understanding of health and disease in wild populations.

Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to improve the current knowledge of disease and health in free-ranging and captive wildlife.

Prof. Dr. Ho-Seong Cho
Prof. Dr. Yeonsu Oh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • wildlife
  • surveillance
  • animal health
  • disease surveillance
  • disease monitoring
  • diagnostic techniques
  • zoonoses
  • microbiome

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 6506 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Fecal Microbiota and Metabolites Between Captive and Grazing Male Reindeer
by Fei Zhao, Quanmin Zhao, Songze Li, Yuhang Zhu, Huazhe Si, Jiang Feng and Zhipeng Li
Animals 2024, 14(24), 3606; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14243606 - 14 Dec 2024
Viewed by 551
Abstract
The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) is a circumpolar member of the Cervidae family, and has adapted to a harsh environment. Summer is a critical period for reindeer, with peak digestibility facilitating body fat accumulation. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in [...] Read more.
The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) is a circumpolar member of the Cervidae family, and has adapted to a harsh environment. Summer is a critical period for reindeer, with peak digestibility facilitating body fat accumulation. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in nutrient metabolism, and is affected by captivity. However, differences in the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolites between captive and grazing reindeer during summer remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a comparative study of the fecal microbiota and metabolites between captive (n = 6) and grazing (n = 6) male reindeer, using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry, respectively. Our results indicated that Prevotella, Phocaeicola, Papillibacter, Muribaculum, and Bacteroides were the predominant genera in the feces of reindeer. However, microbial diversity was significantly higher in captive reindeer compared to their grazing counterparts. Principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in the fecal microbiota between captive and grazing reindeer. In captive reindeer, the relative abundances of the genera Clostridium, Paraprevotella, Alistipes, Paludibacter, Lentimicrobium, Paraclostridium, and Anaerovibrio were significantly higher, while those of the genera Prevotella, Phocaeicola, Pseudoflavonifractor, and Lactonifactor were significantly lower. A comparison of predicted functions indicated that pathways involved in fat digestion and absorption, histidine metabolism, lysine biosynthesis, and secondary bile acid biosynthesis were more abundant in captive reindeer, whereas the pathways of fructose and mannose metabolism and propanoate metabolism were less abundant. An untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that 624 metabolites (e.g., amino acids, lipids, fatty acids, and bile acids) and 645 metabolites (e.g., carbohydrates and purines) were significantly increased in the feces of captive and grazing reindeer, respectively. In conclusion, we unveiled significant differences in fecal microbiota and metabolites between captive and grazing male reindeer, with the results suggesting a potentially enhanced ability to utilize plant fibers in grazing reindeer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition)
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12 pages, 2638 KiB  
Article
Tick Infestation and Molecular Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens from Indian Long-Eared Hedgehogs (Hemiechinus collaris) in Pakistan
by Shahzad Ali, Michael E. von Fricken, Asima Azam, Ahmad Hassan, Nora G. Cleary, Kiran Iftikhar, Muhammad Imran Rashid and Abdul Razzaq
Animals 2024, 14(22), 3185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223185 - 6 Nov 2024
Viewed by 950
Abstract
Hedgehogs can act as reservoirs for the transmission of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) to domestic livestock, wild animals, and humans. Understanding host–tick dynamics is essential to evaluate the impact of TBPs. This study was conducted in Pakistan and aimed to determine the prevalence and [...] Read more.
Hedgehogs can act as reservoirs for the transmission of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) to domestic livestock, wild animals, and humans. Understanding host–tick dynamics is essential to evaluate the impact of TBPs. This study was conducted in Pakistan and aimed to determine the prevalence and species of TBPs in the blood and ticks of Indian long-eared hedgehogs captured from various environments. A total of 64 hedgehogs were captured to check for tick infestation. Tick species were identified morphologically and molecularly including ITS-2 region amplification by PCR and subsequent Sanger sequencing. Moreover, TBPs were identified in both ticks and the blood of hedgehogs through conventional PCR and sequencing, targeting the regions msp1b, 18S rRNA, and cytb for Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Theileria spp., respectively. Out of 64 hedgehogs, 16 (25%) were found to be infested with ticks. Morphological and molecular analysis identified all 109 collected ticks as Rhipicephalus turanicus. Only one hedgehog (6.2%) was infected with A. marginale. From the tick samples, 3.7% tested positive for Theileria lestoquardi, 2.8% for Anaplasma marginale, and another 2.8% for Babesia bigemina. This study provides critical insights into circulating TBPs in this region and what possible role hedgehogs might play in disease maintenance for Anaplasma marginale while identifying multiple pathogens that are of concern to human and animal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition)
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14 pages, 986 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Fibropapillomatosis in Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) Confirms High Content of Heavy Metals
by Klára Matějka Košinová, Jan Cukor, Vlastimil Skoták, Rostislav Linda, Zdeněk Vacek, Karel Bukovjan and Tomáš Kušta
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192847 - 3 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1094
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been an increase in European wild ungulate populations, often associated with a decline in health and spread of disease. This is true for the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common European cervid, with populations apparently [...] Read more.
In recent decades, there has been an increase in European wild ungulate populations, often associated with a decline in health and spread of disease. This is true for the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common European cervid, with populations apparently affected by fibropapillomatosis, an increasingly common cancer. To date, however, there has been little research into this disease, thus many interactions remain unclear and descriptions of tumour composition are poorly validated. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence and concentration of toxic heavy metals in roe deer skin tumours. Our results confirmed the presence of virtually all the metals tested for, i.e., Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Cr, Mn, Al, Co, Cu, Ni, Se, Zn, and Fe, with the highest average concentrations found for Cr (0.99 mg/kg−1 ± 2.23 SD), Cd (0.03 mg/kg−1 ± 0.03 SD), and Hg (0.02 mg/kg−1 ± 0.02 SD), exceeding FAO limits for meat from slaughtered animals. We also observed a significant positive relationship between heavy metal concentration and age, especially for Pb, As, Hg, Mn, Se, Al, Zn, and Ni. Our findings provide a strong baseline for further research on the impact of fibropapillomatosis, not only on the welfare and health status of game but also on the final consumer of venison, which in many respects is regarded as a high-quality, ecological, and renewable wild resource. While deer with this disease are not considered qualitatively or medically defective, they could represent a potential reservoir of substances toxic to humans and could affect substance levels in adjacent tissues or the animal as a whole. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disease and Health in Free-Ranging and Captive Wildlife: Second Edition)
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