Biosecurity and cross-contamination in epidemiological studies involving trapping and sampling wildlife

Alison Elizabeth Hillman

doi:10.2461/wbp.2016.12.6

Abstract

Biosecurity in trapping wildlife is an important consideration regarding animal and human welfare. It is also important regarding minimising the risk of cross-contamination of samples obtained from trapped wildlife, to ensure validity of epidemiological studies dependent on such samples. This paper describes practical approaches to biosecurity in trapping and sampling wildlife, and approaches to evaluating data to assess the potential impact of cross-contamination, using our study of the marsupials quenda (syn. southern brown bandicoots, Isoodon obesulus) and brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) as an example. Biosecurity considerations include management of traps, handling bags, animal handlers and sampling equipment. Various approaches to data analysis can be used to assess whether cross-contamination is likely to have substantially impacted study results.

Highlights

Trapping and subsequent sampling of animals is an integral part of research involving wildlife
This entails biosecurity risks that potentially affect animal and human welfare due to anthropozoonoses and anthropogenic spread of infections within and between wildlife populations [1,2]
The purpose of this paper is to describe practical approaches to biosecurity in trapping and 2 || A.E

Summary

Introduction

Trapping and subsequent sampling of animals is an integral part of research involving wildlife This entails biosecurity risks that potentially affect animal and human welfare due to anthropozoonoses (in the context of wildlife trapping, that is infections that can spread from wildlife to humans, and vice versa) and anthropogenic spread of infections within and between wildlife populations [1,2]. Poorly managed biosecurity in trapping may result in cross-contamination of samples from different animals, which may cause substantial misclassification bias or measurement error in epidemiological studies dependent on trapping for sample collection. Such bias may substantially impact prevalence estimates, and lead to errors in interpretation of data. Hillman et al | Biosecurity and Cross-contamination in Epidemiological Studies Involving

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Conclusion