Radionuclide contamination is a serious health issue caused by nuclear experiments and plant accidents, as seen for the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear plants. Italy has been especially interested in ...northwestern alpine regions, as have several other nations. The aim of this work was to indagate .sup.134 Cs and .sup.137 Cs contamination in wild boars, which were considered bioindicators sampled in the Chisone/Germanasca Valley and the Pellice Valley districts (Piedmont, Italy) in two hunting seasons (2014 and 2016). In the 2014 season, only the livers of the animals (n = 48) were sampled, whereas in 2016, five different anatomical sampling sites were sampled for each animal (n = 16). The analyses were conducted in an accredited laboratory (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente-ARPA) by the aid of an HPGe detector (Ortec) with a relative efficiency of 50%. In general, the contamination levels registered in 2014 were under the detection limit for .sup.134 Cs and low for .sup.137 Cs (Chisone/Germanasca valley: min: 0.0, max: 23.9 median 11.0 Bq/kg vs Pellice valley: min 0, max: 31.7, median: 9.6 Bq/kg) and no health concern can be supposed. In the first-year samples, the liver showed a negative correlation between age and contamination level. In the second year of sampling, low levels were confirmed (min: 3.1 Bq/kg, max: 113.3; median 17.7 Bq/kg). Multiple sampling from the same animal showed that the diaphragm (median = 27.7 Bq/kg) kidney (27.4) and tongue (27.6) were more contaminated than the liver (17.7) and spleen (15.3). Moreover, a linear mixed model revealed a negative organ-by-age interaction, meaning that interorgan differences in contamination level were greater in younger (5-11 months) than in older (18-36 months) animals. Different feeding habits can be the explanation. Our paper shows that muscle sites (diaphragm and tongue) can be useful for radionuclide pollution surveillance in wild boar populations and that younger animals show more interorgan variability in contamination levels than older animals. More investigations are needed to confirm this correlation and to fulfill the request for more data to achieve better risk assessment.
Wild boars, being a common game species, inhabit regions across Eurasia, the southern regions of Asia and certain Indonesian islands. Being omnivorous and due to their relatively long lifespan, wide ...distribution and a relatively high number of shot animals per annual legal hunting season, they are suitable to be biological indicators of occurrence of heavy metals. Concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry in the livers of free-living wild boars (n = 58) from two locations in the Republic of North Macedonia. In all four examined heavy metals, no statistically significant difference between the locations was found (p > 0.05). The mean levels of heavy metals were Cd 0.391 mg/kg and 0.339 mg/kg; Pb 0.213 mg/kg and 0.204 mg/kg; Hg 0.034 mg/kg and 0.037 mg/kg; As 0.035 mg/kg and 0.029 mg/kg in the livers of boars from Bitola and Gevgelija hunting sites, respectively. Although some samples (two samples of Hg, ten samples of Cd and two samples of Pb) exceeded the legal limits, the average values for all heavy metals were far below the maximum permitted values. These findings are promising since they suggest that the ecosystem in the Republic of North Macedonia is stable concerning heavy metal pollution.
•African swine fever emerged in several European and Asian countries.•Review of current knowledge of African swine fever (ASF).•Focus on ASF virology, clinical disease, epidemiology, diagnosis, ...vaccines, and control.•Control has to integrate all stakeholders.•Discussion of ASF controversies and knowledge gaps.
African swine fever (ASF) is a viral hemorrhagic disease with exceptionally high lethality in domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar. Over the last decade, ASF has emerged in several European and Asian countries and has now an unprecedented distribution. Against this background, the presented review focuses on current knowledge and advances in ASF virology, clinical disease upon infection with recent strains, epidemiology, diagnosis, and control. This review highlights knowledge gaps and controversial opinions related to ASF.
The African swine fever epizootic in central and eastern European Union member states has a newly identified component involving virus transmission by wild boar and virus survival in the environment. ...Insights led to an update of the 3 accepted African swine fever transmission models to include a fourth cycle: wild boar-habitat.
Research on reproduction and fertility is an essential fundament of management strategies in European wild boar. Concerning the examination of the reproductive tract, methods still lack conformity ...and comparability. So far the reproductive status of female wild boar has been assessed by ovarian macroscopic examination. In order to find out if this is a valid method, 21 ovaries of 8–34 months old animals covering (early) follicular phase and cyclic inactivity were evaluated microscopically. Number and dimension of follicles as well as the occurrence of atretic follicles were compared and related to age, weight, ovary weight and size of ovary.
For this study, 21 ovaries of the right side of each animal were weighed and measured. The diameter of the functional bodies was measured and functional bodies were counted. Size of ovary was calculated by length*width*height (cm3). Macroscopically, follicles were classified into four categories by diameter: F1 (0.2–0.3 cm), F2 (0.4–0.5 cm), F3 (0.6–0.8 cm) and F4 (0.9–1.3 cm).
Microscopically, antral follicles of every 10th slice per section of each ovary were counted and classified into three categories by diameter: F0 (≥2 mm), FS (1–2 mm) and FXS (≤1 mm). In follicles with a diameter greater than 2 mm (F0), length and width were measured from the beginning of theca interna.
Results showed that age and weight of wild boars were highly correlated (cor = 0.845, p < 0.001). Wild boar of higher age and weight showed higher ovary weight, but this was not significant (p = 0.135 (age), p = 0.329 (weight)). Although the number of macroscopically seen follicles differed widely by animal, microscopically only one ovary showed only small tertiary follicles. Animals with bigger follicles showed a significantly (p = 0.006) smaller number of small and smallest tertiary follicles. The number of tertiary follicles (F0) was not significantly influenced by age or carcass weight (p = 0.460, 0.159). Older and heavier animals showed significantly less FX and FXS (p < 0.001). Comparison of the follicular composition of young wild boar ovaries with domestic pig research allows the conclusion that assessment of cyclic activity and near puberty is possible. However, due to the fact that puberty is a long term biological progress, defining the time of sexual maturity will always be an estimate. Nevertheless, microscopic examination confirmed the macroscopic findings, including follicular dimensions and developmental stage allowing the conclusion that macroscopic evaluation of ovarian functional bodies in wild boar is an easy and reliable way to assess reproductive performance.
The cumulative impact of human activities has driven many species into severe declines across the globe. However, the recent focus on conservation optimism has begun to highlight case studies that go ...against this trend. Reforestation, agricultural abandonment, reintroduction and legislative change have led to a situation where large mammals have recovered and are now widespread across the European continent. This study summarizes the knowledge about wild ungulate distribution in Europe and review the diversity of ways in which they interact with humans. Drawn from a wide range of sources, we built distribution maps of European wild ungulates. Results show that 90% of Europe is home to at least 1 species of wild native ungulate, with roe deer and wild boar occupying 74% and 64% of Europe respectively. In contrast, wild native mountain ungulates only occupy 5% of Europe, and are often associated with protected areas. The wide distribution of most European ungulates combined with the extensive human activity within Europe result in a wide range of interactions between ungulates and humans. These interactions can be classified as services or disservices depending on the value orientation and economic position of the various stakeholders perceiving this relationship. Overall, our survey highlights the success of wildlife management policies in Europe and the potential for continental scale conservation of large mammals in human-dominated landscapes. However, maintaining the success of wild ungulate conservation requires actions from national and European institutions to improve coordinated management across jurisdictional borders and sectorial coordination for the whole landscape.
Display omitted
•We summarize knowledge on wild ungulates distribution in Europe.•About 90% of Europe is home to at least one species of wild ungulates.•75% of wild ungulate distribution is located outside protected areas.•We explore the complex interactions between ungulates and humans in Europe's anthropogenic landscape.•More than 7 million ungulates are harvested each year in Europe.
•HEV prevalence and genetic diversity were studied in 16 prefectures from 2018-2023.•Anti-HEV IgG was found in 10.7 % of boars; HEV RNA was found in 3.6 % of boars.•HEV-3 was most common (91.9 %), ...with HEV-4 and a HEV-6-related strain also present.•HEV prevalence in wild boars decreased significantly from 2018/2019 to 2022/2023.•Decline in HEV among boars may be linked to classical swine fever virus outbreaks.
Previous studies have emphasized the necessity of surveillance and control measures for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in wild boars, an important reservoir of HEV. To assess the current situation of HEV infection in wild boars in Japan, this study investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of HEV among wild boars captured in 16 prefectures of Japan during 2018–2023. Serum samples from 968 wild boars were examined for anti-HEV IgG antibodies and HEV RNA. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG varied geographically from 0 % to 35.0 %. HEV RNA was detected in 3.6 % of boars, with prevalence varying by prefecture from 0 % to 22.2 %. Genotype 3 was the most prevalent genotype (91.9 %), followed by genotype 4 (5.4 %), with one strain closely related to genotype 6. The prevalence of HEV infection among wild boars decreased from 2018/2019 to 2022/2023 with significant declines in levels of anti-HEV IgG antibodies (14.5 % vs. 6.2 %, P < 0.0001) and HEV RNA (7.6 % vs. 1.5 %, P < 0.0001). Regional analysis showed varying trends, with no HEV RNA-positive boars found in several regions in recent years. A plausible factor contributing to the decline in HEV infection is the application of countermeasures, including installing fences to prevent intrusion into pig farms, implemented in response to the emergence of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) infection in wild boars and domestic pigs, with incidents reported annually since 2018. Further investigation is warranted to explore the association between countermeasures to CSFV infection and the decrease in HEV infection among wild boars.
► ASF was first reported in the Caucasus in 2007 and in the Russian Federation in wild boars in Chechnya in November 2007. ► The involvement of domestic pigs in 2008 was an important step toward the ...disease becoming endemic in North Caucasus region. ► In 2010–2012 ASF spread widely and established in central RF, with sporadic incursions into the north-western European Russia. ► The spread and endemic establishment of ASF is ascribed to circulation of virus in the wild boar population. ► Other causes were ineffective prevention and control, and lack of a centralized and nationally funded control plan.
Since the introduction of the virus into the Republic of Georgia in 2007 African swine fever (ASF) has become a large-scale epidemic involving the domestic pig population but wild boars are involved as well. From 2008 to 2009 the ASF epidemic affected wild and domestic pigs in all the southern regions of the Russian Federation (RF). The driving force of the epidemic in its initial stages was direct contact between infected wild boars and between wild boars and traditionally free-ranging domestic pigs in backyard farms.
Driving forces of the epidemic at the its first stages was direct contact of infected wild boars between each other and with traditionally free ranged domestic pigs in backyard farms. The next stage developed due to illegal movement of pig products contaminated by African swine fever virus (ASFV) from affected regions and swill feeding, and inefficient implementation of measures to prevent and control ASF. From 2010 through 2012, ASF spread to other, previously unaffected regions of the RF. Most of outbreaks in the southern regions (Krasnodar, Stavropol, Rostov regions) are secondary.
Currently, the disease situation observed in endemic areas of the RF, including the southern Krasnodar and Volgograd regions and the central Tver’ region, is very complicated. In 2012, a large number of outbreaks in domestic pigs and in wild boars were reported. The circulating ASFV is highly virulent and has maintained its virulence throughout the epidemic since its introduction in 2007.
Considering the forces currently driving the ASF epidemic – circulation of ASF virus in wild boars, ineffectiveness of prevention and control measures, lack of common interest in eradicating the disease and absence of a nationally funded eradication program – continued outbreaks, including those in previously unaffected regions of the RF, can be expected.
A captured Japanese wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) fetus was dicephalic. The fetus had two heads, but one body from the cranial neck region. Computed tomography imaging revealed that the two ...crania merged at the occipital bone, and the vertebral bodies between the atlas and the seventh thoracic vertebra were deformed. The fetus was found to have two tongues and laryngopharynges, but its esophagus and trachea were not duplicated. Each head contained a cerebrum and cerebellum, but the brains merged at the obex of the medulla oblongata, and the cervical spinal cord had duplicated ventral clefts. The heart was composed of three atria and four ventricles. This is the first report of a dicephalus with cardiac malformation in a wild boar.
Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are indigenous in many countries in the world. These free-living swine are known reservoirs for a number of viruses, bacteria and parasites that are transmissible to domestic ...animals and humans. Changes of human habitation to suburban areas, increased use of lands for agricultural purposes, increased hunting activities and consumption of wild boar meat have increased the chances of exposure of wild boars to domestic animals and humans. Wild boars can act as reservoirs for many important infectious diseases in domestic animals, such as classical swine fever, brucellosis and trichinellosis, and in humans, diseases such as hepatitis E, tuberculosis, leptospirosis and trichinellosis. For examples, wild boars are reservoirs for hepatitis E virus, and cluster cases of hepatitis E have been reported in Japan of humans who consumed wild boar meat. In Canada, an outbreak of trichinellosis was linked to the consumption of wild boar meat. The incidence of tuberculosis owing to Mycobacterium bovis has increased in wild boars, thus posing a potential concern for infections in livestock and humans. It has also been documented that six hunters contracted Brucella suis infections from wild swine in Florida. This article discusses the prevalence and risk of infectious agents in wild boars and their potential transmission to livestock and humans.
PDF
