Exposure to selected pathogens in wild mammals from a rescue and rehabilitation center in southern Italy

Abstract

Wildlife is at the same time a reservoir and sentinel of numerous infections for humans and domestic animals. For this reason, wildlife rehabilitation centers represent an opportunity to carry out surveillance against the most varied infections. In this work, wild animals (canids, mustelids, erinaceids, and cervids) hospitalized at a first aid center in southern Italy were sampled and tested with multispecies ELISAs and rapid tests against a panel of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Foxes and wolves were exposed to Brucella canis, Coxiella burnetii, canine coronavirus, and Pseudorabies virus. Furthermore, one and two foxes tested positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Dirofilaria immitis. Although not confirmed by molecular assay, hedgehogs and porcupines tested positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigens. No animals were exposed to Leishmania infantum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Mycobacterium avium, or Schmallenberg viruses. A fox and a roe deer had antibodies against the hepatitis E virus. The overall prevalence of Angiostrongylus vasorum antigen was 25 % (all the positive samples were collected from red foxes). Parasitological analyses showed the positivity of wild animals to Crenosoma spp., Strongyloides spp., Capillaria spp., and Cystoisospora spp. Wild canids also tested positive for Toxocara spp. and Trichuris vulpis. The results of this study have demonstrated not only the circulation of numerous pathogens in the wildlife of southern Italy but also underlined the risk to which the operators of first aid centers are subjected, considering that some of these animals stand periods of rehabilitation even of several months.