Throughout recent years, ungulates have experienced significant increases in numbers and geographic range sizes in Europe, becoming locally overabundant populations in some regions. Changes in ...legislation regarding poaching, abandonment of land and re‐naturalisation of habitats, and decreasing numbers of hunters, among other things, have led to alarming scenarios in wild ungulate biology. Although ungulates bring some financial benefits for ecosystems and society through tourism and hunting, the problems associated with populations that are no longer controlled can outweigh the advantages. Damage to forestry and agriculture, ungulate‐vehicle collisions, and diseases are among the most concerning problems related to ungulate overabundance.
To deal with these problems and to decide on the best management strategy to apply, it is essential to have tools available to monitor populations with an integrative approach based on ecological change indicators, and to assess population and ecosystem status. Furthermore, in a globalised world, people’s opinions matter, and sociological studies regarding human perception of wild mammals must take place in order to allow proper management, including consideration of people’s expectations as well as animal and ecosystem needs. Successful and unsuccessful management strategies have already been attempted, and the knowledge of consequences over time enables an adaptive approach.
Management of ungulate populations is a complex subject, and each case should be studied, analysing the cost_performance balance of measures to be taken, and ensuring ongoing financial means to carry out and continue with successful ecosystem management strategies. Multidisciplinary teams should be built, including biologists, veterinarians, stakeholders, sociologists, and others, to deal with the management of European wild ungulate populations.
Ungulates such as red deer and wild boar have been increasing in the past decades in Europe, and so have their consequences. Damage to agriculture and forestry, emerging infectious diseases, and increasing ungulate‐vehicle collisions are only some of the consequences of ungulate populations that are no longer controlled. Ungulate expansion also increases conflicts among humans, and the study of these interactions should be integrated in an holistic perspective of ecosystems. This review gives researchers and the general public a brief summary of the situation of ungulates in Europe, suggests a novel socio‐ecological approach, and provides recommendations for stakeholders on how to deal with this situation, which is likely to intensify in the future.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The human dimension of wildlife is a subject of increasing interest, especially considering the potential impact of people's perceptions on decision-making concerning wildlife management and thus on ...species' distribution and abundance. This is particularly important for species that inhabit human-dominated landscapes, where conflicts are likely to arise. These conflicts typically emerge between different human collectives when their interests collide and thus an assessment of their perceptions is valuable. Throughout Europe, ungulates have expanded, and Portugal is no exception. The expansion of red deer (Cervus elaphus) comes with benefits (e.g. hunting opportunities), but also with costs (e.g. vehicle collision or damage to crops), that can shape people's perceptions of these populations. To assess perceptions of red deer populations in continental Portugal, we developed a questionnaire survey with three interest groups: general public, farmers and hunters (total n = 1532). Our results show that perceptions about red deer were generally positive with a high acknowledgement of deer benefits, which we link to a broad level of sympathy towards this species. In addition, farmers showed a higher concern with crop damage caused by deer than non-farmers. Nonetheless, a general lack of knowledge regarding wildlife was present, particularly among younger people, who are potentially more apart and disconnected from nature. Now is the time to implement preventive and mitigation measures – e.g. fencing, reduction of population density – which can be a small contribution to address this problem. The focus should be put on people's acceptance of the required strategies to manage deer populations (which can also include unpopular practices, such as hunting). For that, an evaluation of people's attitudes towards deer populations and awareness of associated problems is essential. People's opinions, as well as the success of monitoring and management strategies, should be evaluated through multi-disciplinary teams, that include natural and social scientists, to ensure their success.
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•General perception about red deer was better than expected.•Farmers presented the highest damage perception.•Hunter had high interest in wildlife but acknowledge deer damages.•Strategies to ensure acceptance of generally unpopular management measures are needed.•Multidisciplinary teams should be built to solve wildlife management topics.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathobiont (i.e., a commensal microorganism that is potentially pathogenic under certain conditions), a nosocomial pathogen and a leading cause of morbidity and ...mortality in humans. S. aureus is also a commensal and pathogen of companion animals and livestock. The dissemination of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) S. aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA), has been associated to its ability for establishing new reservoirs, but limited attention has been devoted to the role of the environment. To fill this gap, we aimed to characterize animal carrier status, AMR phenotypes, predominant clonal lineages and their relationship with clinical and food-chain settings, as well as to find predictors of AMR occurrence. Nasal swabs (n = 254) from wild boar (n = 177), red deer (n = 54) and fallow deer (n = 23) hunted in Portugal, during the season 2019/2020, yielded an overall carrier proportion of 35.8%, ranging from 53.7% for red deer and 32.2% for wild boar to 21.7% for fallow deer. MRSA from wild boar and phenotypically linezolid-resistant S. aureus from wild boar and red deer were isolated, indicating that resistance to antimicrobials restricted to clinical practice also occurs in wildlife. The most prevalent genotypes were t11502/ST2678 (29.6%) and t12939/ST2678 (9.4%), previously reported in wild boar from Spain. Clonal lineages reported in humans and livestock, like CC1, CC5 or CC8 (19.1%) and ST425, CC133 or CC398 (23.5%), respectively, were also found. The sequence type ST544, previously restricted to humans, is described in wildlife for the first time. We also identified that land use (agricultural land cover), human driven disturbance (swine abundance) and host-related factors (sex) determine resistance occurrence. These findings suggest that antibiotics used in clinical settings, agriculture and livestock farming, spill over to wildlife, leading to AMR emergence, with potential biological, ecological, and human health effects. This work is one of the most comprehensive surveys in Europe of S. aureus occurrence and determinants among widely distributed wild ungulates.
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•We report results from a broad survey of pathobiont S. aureus among wild ungulates.•The overall carrier status was 35.83% (95%CI: 29.89–41.76%), peaking in red deer.•Clonal lineages from wild ungulates were mostly associated to humans or livestock.•Resistance to antimicrobials restricted to clinical practice was found in the wild.•Land use, livestock abundance and host traits determine AMR occurrence.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In the last decade, detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria from wildlife has received increasing interest, due to the potential risk posed by those bacteria to wild animals, livestock or humans ...at the interface with wildlife, and due to the ensuing contamination of the environment. According to World Health Organization, cephalosporins are critically important antibiotics to human health. However, acquired resistance to β-lactams is widely distributed and is mainly mediated by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and AmpC beta-lactamases, such as cephalosporinases. This work thus aimed to compile and analyse the information available on the emergence and dissemination of cephalosporinases in wildlife worldwide. Results suggest a serious scenario, with reporting of cephalosporinases in 46 countries from all continents (52% in Europe), across 188 host species, mainly birds and mammals, especially gulls and ungulates. The most widely reported cephalosporinases, CTX-M-1, CTX-M-14, CTX-M-15 and CMY-2, were also the most common in wild animals, in agreement with their ubiquity in human settings, including their association to high-risk clones of Escherichia coli (E. coli), such as the worldwide distributed CTX-M-15/ST131 E. coli. Altogether, our findings show that anthropogenic activities affect the whole ecosystem and that public policies promoting animal and environmental surveillance, as well as mitigation measures to avoid antimicrobial misuse and AMR spread, are urgently needed to be out in practise.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Antibiotic resistance is an emerging global problem. Wild animals are rarely exposed to antibiotics and therefore low levels of antibiotic resistance are expected. However, the growing interactions ...of these animals with humans and livestock may have a huge impact on their bacterial flora. This study aimed to assess the levels of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from widespread wild ungulates in Portugal. The interpretation of inhibition zone diameters was performed according to clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cut-offs, determined with the normalized resistance interpretation (NRI) method. For clinical breakpoints, 16% of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, including ampicillin (10%), tetracycline (9%), streptomycin (5%) co-trimoxazole (4%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (1%) and cefoxitin (1%). The levels of resistance detected in E. coli strains isolated from wild boar were statistically different for ampicillin and co-trimoxasol. According to NRI cut-offs, 10% of the population showed a non-wild-type phenotype against at least one antibiotic, also including tetracycline (9%), co-trimoxazole (6%), streptomycin (4%), ampicillin (2%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (1%). Considering this parameter of comparison, no statistically different levels of resistance were identified between E. coli recovered from the three wild ungulates. Screening of Salmonella spp., which can be potentially pathogenic, was also performed, revealing that its prevalence was very low (1.5%). The study demonstrated that wild ungulates from Portugal are also reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The endangered Iberian wolf (
Canis lupus signatus
) populations have been decreasing in Portugal due to a combination of factors such as habitat destruction and human persecution. This is ...particularly worrying in Central Portugal, where packs are highly fragmented, isolated, and with few individuals. Human-Wildlife-Conflicts occur in this area due to high levels of livestock depredation, an outcome of the low diversity and density of wild prey. As a consequence, human persecution is relatively high and is considered a main threat to wolves’ survival. Through studying public attitudes towards these wolf populations and discerning prevalent patterns, insights can be gained to guide management strategies in mitigating these factors. A total of 222 questionnaires were collected from populations inhabiting Central Portugal, divided into three interest groups (general public, livestock owners, and hunters).We estimated
Attitude
,
Fear
, and
Knowledge Indexes
regarding the wolf. Attitudes towards wolves were positive, with the fear being neutral but the knowledge being low; attitudes tend to be more positive with the decrease of fear and the increase of knowledge, and fear tends to decrease with the increase of knowledge. The main factor negatively influencing attitudes was fear, although age seemed to have more influence on livestock owners’ attitudes. The factors influencing fear included gender, knowledge, and personal experience with wolves. These findings can be used to target specific groups with environmental awareness initiatives, aiming to increase knowledge and reduce sources of fear. It is crucial to develop tailored conservation measures considering stakeholders’ viewpoints to effectively protect the Iberian wolf.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The human dimension of wildlife is increasingly addressed in socioecological studies on the growth of some wildlife populations in Europe, which frequently leads to conflicts, particularly when wild ...populations inhabit or reach humanized landscapes. In Europe, ungulates have been increasing in number and distribution, especially the wild boar (
Sus scrofa
). This has been a cause of concern, given the increase in traffic accidents, diseases, and crop damage caused by the wild boar. These impacts could shape people’s perception regarding this species, but sociocultural factors can influence a favorable perception. This study examines people’s perception of the wild boar in Portugal, collecting responses from 1532 individuals, including farmers, hunters, and the general public. Three indexes were created to analyze perception: interest in wildlife, perception of benefits, and perception of damage associated with wild boar. Respondents had, in general, a positive perception of the wild boar. Farmers were more aware of wild boar increasing trends and had a higher damage perception and a lower perception of species benefits. This was expected, considering the increasing damages caused by wild boar to crops. Hunters showed an intermediate perception between the farmers and the general public that mainly highlighted the benefits. This study is valuable in providing data to orientate awareness-raising actions, as well as management strategies to tackle wild boar densities, such as hunting coupled with other methods. It is of the utmost importance the application of compensatory schemes, through the government, as an
end-of-line
measure. Future research should focus on adaptive management involving multidisciplinary teams.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Blastocystis is a ubiquitous intestinal protist in humans and animals worldwide. The traditional livestock free-roaming raising system in rural communities increases the risk of infection with ...contact with a wider range of pathogens transmitted via the faecal-oral route associated with that wildlife-livestock-human interface. However, no studies have been conducted to determine the occurrence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in livestock in Portugal. Here, we collected 180 faecal samples from herbivore livestock (cattle, goats, horses, and sheep) in different regions of the country to investigate Blastocystis prevalence and subtype diversity using PCR and next-generation amplicon sequencing. Blastocystis was present in 40.6% (73/180; 95% CI: 33.31–48.11) of the samples (goats, 81.0%; sheep, 60.9%; cattle, 32.2%). None of the horse samples were Blastocystis-positive. Eighteen subtypes were detected (ST1-ST3, ST5-ST7, ST10, ST13, ST14, ST21, ST23-ST26, ST30, ST42-ST44). Mixed infections were detected in 97.3% of the Blastocystis-positive samples. Potentially zoonotic subtypes were identified in 75.0%, 96.4%, and 100% of the Blastocystis-positive specimens collected from cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. These results demonstrate that cattle, sheep, and goats harbour a high diversity of Blastocystis subtypes in the study regions. Importantly, our data provide novel molecular evidence strongly suggesting that some Blastocystis STs/ST subgroups may have differential host specificity.
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•Blastocystis is common finding (40.6%) in herbivore livestock species in Portugal.•Eighteen Blastocystis STs (including nine potentially zoonotic) were identified.•Mixed ST infections were detected in 97.3% of the Blastocystis-positive samples.•Host specificity/preference was observed for some Blastocystis STs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The phylum Microsporidia encompasses a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming organisms able to infect a wide range of animal hosts. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the ...most frequently reported species in humans and animals. Little is known about the presence and epidemiology of E. bieneusi in wildlife. We investigated E. bieneusi occurrence and genetic diversity in wild and domestic mammals, through molecular-detection methods, from different regions across Portugal. A total of 756 samples were collected from 288, 242, and 226 wild carnivores, wild ungulates, and domestic animals, respectively. Overall, eight specimens were E. bieneusi-positive (1.1%, 8/756) obtained from five wild (Iberian lynx, Iberian wolf, red fox, stone marten, and wild boar) and one domestic (sheep) host. Nucleotide sequence analysis identified four genotypes of E. bieneusi, Type IV, Wildboar3, BEB6, and PtEbIX. Three of those genotypes belong to Groups 1 (Type IV and Wildboar3) and 2 (BEB6), which are known to contain genotypes capable of infecting a variety of hosts, including humans, highlighting their public health importance. PtEbIX belongs to the dog-specific Group 11. This study represents the first, largest, and most comprehensive molecular-based epidemiology survey carried out in Portugal in wild and domestic animals to date and the first worldwide identification of E. bieneusi in wolf species. Our study showed that wild carnivores and ungulates may act as reservoirs of zoonotic genotypes of E. bieneusi, establishing their role in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of this parasite while representing a potential source of infection for humans and domestic animals.
Enteropathogenic parasites and viruses have been frequently reported in swine and can infect a wide range of mammals, including humans. Among the wide variety of parasites infecting swine, ...diarrhoeagenic protists are among those that cause significant morbidity. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has also been reported both in domestic pigs and wild boar and is known to have an important public health significance. These agents share the fecal−oral transmission route, but data on their fecal shedding and circulation pathways are still lacking or incomplete. Hence, the aim of the present study was to characterize the presence of microeukaryotes and HEV in the wild boar of Portugal. Wild boar stool samples (n = 144) were obtained during the official hunting seasons (October to February) in 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2021/2022 and tested for Cryptosporidium spp., Balantioides coli, Giardia duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi and HEV by molecular assays, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We have detected Cryptosporidium scrofarum (1.4%, 95% CI: 0.2−4.9), B. coli (14.6%, 95% CI: 9.2−21.4), Blastocystis ST5 (29.2%, 95% CI: 21.9−37.2) and HEV genotype 3 (2.8%, 95% CI: 0.7−6.9; subgenotypes 3e and 3m). Co-infections were observed in thirteen animals where two were positive for both HEV and B. coli, one was positive for both C. scrofarum and Blastocystis ST5, and ten were positive for both B. coli and Blastocystis ST5. Giardia duodenalis and E. bieneusi were not detected in the surveyed wild boar population. As far as we know, this is the first report describing protist infections by Cryptosporidium spp., B. coli, and Blastocystis sp., as well as the first identification of the emerging HEV genotype 3m in wild boar of Portugal. The present work shows that potentially zoonotic protozoa and HEV are circulating in wild boar populations in Portugal. Awareness and epidemic-surveillance network implementation measures targeting wild boar are needed to prevent the spread of these pathogenic agents to humans.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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