Wildlife Hospital Research Articles

Characterizing the Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Microbes Isolated from Wildlife Presented to the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)

The isolation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) from humans and livestock is a special concern for public health officials. Although research has been conducted to evaluate the prevalence of ARB in human and veterinary hospitals, there has been limited research evaluating the potential for ARB in wildlife and wildlife hospitals. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ARB in wildlife presented to the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana (WHL). Seventy percent (19/27) of the wildlife presented to the WHL during the summer of 2002 had ARB bacteria. In addition, 40 percent (15/37) of the samples collected from within the hospital environment also were found to harbor ARB. Antibiotic resistant bacteria pose a health risk for compromised patients and their human caretakers in a wildlife hospital. Management plans should be developed within wildlife rehabilitation facilities to decrease the likelihood of creating and disseminating ARB.

Fishing Tackle Injury and Blood Lead Levels in Mute Swans

We investigated the incidence of injuries caused by lost or discarded fishing tackle on the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) admitted to a wildlife hospital in the English Midlands between January 2000 and December 2002. Injuries caused by lost or discarded fishing tackle was the largest single attributable cause of admission over this period, accounting for 17% of a total of 1,491 swans admitted over the three year period. Treatment success was high with 87% subsequently released, although the majority of these birds would probably have died without treatment. We also conducted a survey of blood lead levels in 921 swans over the same period and 74% were found to have elevated blood lead levels over 1.21 μmol/l. Over three-quarters of swans with elevated blood lead levels (>1.21 μmol/l) were successfully treated with the chelating agent EDTA and were subsequently released following treatment.

Incidence of salmonellae in captive and wild free-living raptorial birds in central Spain.

A total of 595 faecal samples from raptorial birds, either captive or free-living, residing in GREFA Wildlife Hospital were bacteriologically examined using various selective media and an Automated Diagnostic Assay System for Salmonella detection. Serotype and phage type of the strains identified as Salmonella was determined. In the captive group, of the 285 samples examined, 21 (7.36%) were positive for Salmonella. Serotyping revealed that most of the individuals were infected by Salmonella serotype Havana. This result suggested that there could be a source of contamination in the Hospital although it could not be established. In the wild free-living group, over 310 samples examined (4.19%) were positive for Salmonella. The Salmonella isolates showed a major variety of serotypes: Enteritidis, Adelaide, Brandenburg, Newport, Typhimurium, Hadar, Saintpaul and Virchow. Most of them are similar to those commonly described in isolates from human and domestic animals. These results indicate that wild birds could be involved in the dissemination of Salmonella in humans or domestic animals or vice versa.

Comparison of phenotypic and genotypic markers for characterization of an outbreak of Salmonella serotype Havana in captive raptors.

To establish a typing method for tracing the epidemic relationship of 16 strains of Salmonella serotype Havana isolated from captive raptors showing no symptomatology and residing in a wildlife hospital in Spain. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ribotyping, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methodology were applied. Ten unrelated strains of serotype Havana were included as a control group to provide a basis of for the efficiency of the different markers used. All outbreak-related strains were resistant to nalidixic acid and streptomycin and showed the same ripotype, pulsotype and AFLP pattern. This is the first time that AFLP analysis has been tested with serotype Havana isolates and it has demonstrated to be the most useful epidemiological tool for discriminating between unrelated and outbreak-related strains of this serotype. The results obtained suggest that all the Salmonella serotype Havana isolates represented a common outbreak strain whose origin of contamination could not be established although it is thought that it was the poultry meat used for raptors'diet. Our study suggests the importance of microbiological analysis of these products in order to prevent contamination and dissemination of Salmonellae in this kind of Hospital.

St Tiggywinkles—Nursing Animals with a Difference

St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, has been chosen as the 1997 BVNA Charity of the Year, in recognition of its support of veterinary nurses. Those of you attending next month's BVNA Congress will have an opportunity to meet some of the faces behind the charity, because it has been offered complimentary stand space at the Congress. Here, by way of an introduction, Les Stocker, the charity's director, describes its typical day-today operations and its raison d'être.

The Behaviour After Release of Captive-Reared Fox Cubs

AbstractThe release of animals from captivity frequently leads to a period of erratic movement behaviour which is thought to expose the animal to a high risk of mortality. Twenty-six foxes which had been reared at a wildlife hospital or captive-bred, were radio-collared when nearly full-grown and released without site acclimation. Immediately after release there was an erratic phase of behaviour, during which the foxes travelled widely and movement parameters were markedly elevated. For those foxes which survived, a second phase was entered after an average of 17.2 days, during which one small area only was used, and movement parameters were much reduced. In a second study, nine foxes were released following site acclimation in a pre-release pen; this process postponed but did not eliminate the phase of high movement activity.This pattern of movement was compared with the dispersal behaviour of wild-reared foxes. It was concluded that released foxes, despite being proficient in other aspects of behaviour, were moving and behaving in a markedly abnormal manner and this resulted in a high death rate. The results are used to discuss methods of improving rehabilitation techniques.

RESPONSE TO OILED WILDLIFE IN TAMPA BAY

ABSTRACT Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by one of the responsible parties (Maritrans), managed the wildlife response following the three-vessel collision and oil spill in Tampa Bay on August 10, 1993. Four hundred sixty-one animals (461) were delivered during the response; 370 of the animals were oiled. Species included brown pelicans, cormorant, tern, egret and heron sp., and two reptiles, the loggerhead sea turtle and the gopher tortoise. The most common taxon was brown pelicans (291). Of the oiled animals received, 80 percent were successfully treated and returned to the wild. Of the brown pelicans received, 90 percent were successfully treated and released. This paper discusses the care provided for the oiled animals and addresses the special aspects of this wildlife response, including a teamwork approach, involving training and use of local rehabilitators, veterinarians, and concerned citizens; agency coordination in treating endangered species; and the challenges of operating a wildlife hospital outdoors.

Wildlife Hospital

Wildlife Hospital