Trace elements (including heavy metals) can negatively affect the environment and the health of living beings. Biomonitoring is a transdisciplinary tool to evaluate this pollution type and its ...respective consequences in ecosystems, food chains, and webs. This review used systematic methods to identify published literature on biomonitoring of heavy metal(loid)s using wild mammals on the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 30 different mammalian species (30/141) were included in 62 Iberian biomonitoring studies: 22 species from terrestrial habitats and 8 from aquatic habitats. Carnivores (including piscivores) were the most represented in both habitat types (7/22 in terrestrial; 8/8 in aquatic). Most studies used more than one tissue (2.8 + or - 1.3), with a preference for the liver and kidney. Cd was the most determined metal, measured in 45% of the biomonitoring studies analysed, highlighting its potential health impact on mammals. Further research is crucial to provide more information on mammalian species' susceptibility to this One Health problem, and to cover more habitats, trophic chains, and (or) geographical areas.
The wild boar (
Sus scrofa
) is a mammal with a broad distribution in the Eurasian territory and a potential reservoir for several zoonotic pathogens. Besides being part of the Mediterranean ...ecosystem and perpetuating these agents in the environment, this species is usually consumed in the Iberian Peninsula, representing a potential public health threat. Due to its extensive expansion and colonization of new geographical areas, which leads to increasing contact with humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, infectious disease assessments are crucial. During the last two decades (2001–2021), several researchers have studied wild boars to identify, understand, and predict potential health risks and disease outbreaks in animals and humans. North-eastern, central-eastern (mainly because of tuberculosis), and southern Portugal were the regions where most pathogens have been identified. Some agents with zoonotic importance (but with few reported data) should be the focus of future surveillance studies, such as
Leptospira
spp.,
Brucella
spp., or
Trichinella
spp. This review aims to summarize the available information on pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) reported in wild boars, in Portugal, in the last two decades, with a particular focus on agents with zoonotic potential.
Talaromyces marneffei is a zoonotic fungus that mostly infects immunocompromised individuals. For the first time, this fungus was isolated in an adult beech marten (Martes foina) hit by a car, found ...dead in Penamacor, Portugal. During the necropsy, different samples (skin, fur, lymph nodes, lung, spleen, kidneys, and brain) were collected and processed for microbiology (including mycology) and molecular biology. T. marneffei was identified through its mycological characteristics and confirmed by PCR in hair samples. No other lesions or alterations were reported, except a concomitant presence of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in lung, kidney and brain samples. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of this fungus beech marten, as well as the first case of co-infection with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in wildlife fauna. These results suggest a sylvatic life-cycle of T. marneffei, involving beech martens, in Portugal.
•Talaromyces marneffei is a zoonotic fungus responsible for human talaromycosis.•This is the first report of Martes foina as a host for T.marneffei in Portugal.•A sylvatic life-cycle of T. marneffei may be present with One Health implications.
Urban fauna is defined as animal species that can live in urban environments. Several species, including the western-European hedgehog (
), have now been identified as part of this urban fauna, ...becoming permanent residents of parks and gardens in different cities across Europe. Due to the importance that this phenomenon represents for zoonotic disease surveillance, several authors have been conducting zoonotic agents' surveys on hedgehog. The aim of this study is to compare zoonotic diseases' prevalence in hedgehogs in urban environments with those from more rural areas. A systematic review with meta-analysis of twelve studied of zoonotic diseases' (in urban and rural areas of Europe) was therefore conducted for this purpose. Fifteen different zoonoses have been assessed in urban environments and six in rural areas.
was the most prevalent zoonotic agent found in urban habitats (96%). Dermatophytosis shows statistically significant differences between locations (
-value < 0.001), with a higher prevalence in urban Poland (55%; n = 182). Our results suggest further research and a standardized monitoring of different hedgehog populations are essential to understanding the epidemiology of several zoonotic pathogens in different habitat types (urban, rural, natural, industrial, etc.) and preventing possible disease outbreaks.
The western-European hedgehog (
Erinaceus europaeus
) is an insectivore with a wide distribution in Portugal and a potential tool for biomonitoring relevant One Health hazards, including heavy ...metal(loid)s’ pollution. The aim of this study was to positively contribute to the current knowledge about the metal(loid) pollution in Portugal. Forty-six hedgehogs (from rescue centres; with known provenance) were necropsied. Sex, age category and weight were determined. Spines, liver and kidney were collected, and metalloid concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS). In general, results did not present alarming metal(loid) concentrations, with the exception of cadmium (Cd) (in the kidneys) and copper (Cu). Hedgehogs from Viana do Castelo and Viseu showed elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) and Castelo Branco presented concerning values of cadmium (Cd). Adult and heavier hedgehogs tended to present higher levels of metal(loid)s. Sex does not seem to significantly affect the metal(loid)s’ concentrations. Further analysis would be needed to prioritize areas with detail and allow the application of the necessary mitigation strategies.
Wild boars (
Sus scrofa
) are part of the hunting economy and are highly consumed in the Iberian Peninsula, including in the Castile and Leon regions. As zoonotic diseases, chemical pollutants in ...wild boars’ internal tissues should be interpreted as evidence of environmental contamination and a matter of concern for animal, human and ecosystem health; in other words, a One Health concern. Twenty-eight wild boars’ livers and kidneys (n = 28) from Castile and Leon were submitted to metal(loid) determination (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS) and histopathological exam. Cd levels, especially in the kidneys (7.063 ± 7.271 mg/kg dw), were the most concerning results, considering the calculated maximum values for consumption (EC No. 915/2023) (2.491 mg/kg dw or 1.0 mg/kg ww). Wild boars with hydropic changes in the liver presented higher concentrations of Ni. Thus, the metal(loid) contamination of wild boar carcasses seems to be a “no trace” but very relevant problem that should raise awareness of a more accurate monitoring program and other strategies to avoid public health consequences.
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