TY - JOUR
T1 - Pathogen dynamics and morbidity of striped skunks in the absence of rabies
AU - Gehrt, Stanley D.
AU - Kinsel, Michael J.
AU - Anchor, Chris
PY - 2010/4
Y1 - 2010/4
N2 - Parasites have the potential to influence the population dynamics of mammalian hosts, either as a single devastating pathogen or as a community effect. Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are typically host to rabies, which often regulates population numbers. We assessed micro- and macroparasite dynamics in striped skunk populations in the absence of rabies, to determine if a single pathogen, or community, was responsible for a majority of skunk deaths. We monitored mortality due to pathogens, and prevalence of pathogens via serology and necropsy, in two populations of striped skunks in northern Illinois during 1998-2004. Transmissible pathogens requiring direct transmission (i.e., canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus) exhibited high annual variability in prevalence. In contrast, those pathogens employing a more indirect, environmental route of transmission (i.e., Leptospira interrogans and Toxoplasma gondii) appeared to exhibit relatively less annual variability in prevalence. Skunks were diagnosed with infections from an average of 4.08 (SD=2.52, n=32) species of endoparasites, with a range of 1-11. Macroparasite prevalence and intensity did not vary among seasons, or sex or age of host. Severe infections occurred with multiple parasite species, and patterns of aggregation suggested some parasite species, or more likely the parasite community, act as a limiting mechanism in skunk populations.
AB - Parasites have the potential to influence the population dynamics of mammalian hosts, either as a single devastating pathogen or as a community effect. Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are typically host to rabies, which often regulates population numbers. We assessed micro- and macroparasite dynamics in striped skunk populations in the absence of rabies, to determine if a single pathogen, or community, was responsible for a majority of skunk deaths. We monitored mortality due to pathogens, and prevalence of pathogens via serology and necropsy, in two populations of striped skunks in northern Illinois during 1998-2004. Transmissible pathogens requiring direct transmission (i.e., canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus) exhibited high annual variability in prevalence. In contrast, those pathogens employing a more indirect, environmental route of transmission (i.e., Leptospira interrogans and Toxoplasma gondii) appeared to exhibit relatively less annual variability in prevalence. Skunks were diagnosed with infections from an average of 4.08 (SD=2.52, n=32) species of endoparasites, with a range of 1-11. Macroparasite prevalence and intensity did not vary among seasons, or sex or age of host. Severe infections occurred with multiple parasite species, and patterns of aggregation suggested some parasite species, or more likely the parasite community, act as a limiting mechanism in skunk populations.
KW - Distemper
KW - Leptospira interrogans
KW - Mephitis mephitis
KW - Morbidity
KW - Parasite
KW - Striped skunk
KW - Toxoplasma gondii
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952381103&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77952381103&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7589/0090-3558-46.2.335
DO - 10.7589/0090-3558-46.2.335
M3 - Article
C2 - 20688627
AN - SCOPUS:77952381103
SN - 0090-3558
VL - 46
SP - 335
EP - 347
JO - Journal of wildlife diseases
JF - Journal of wildlife diseases
IS - 2
ER -