Dataset Information

Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach.

ABSTRACT: Domestic dogs are the most abundant large carnivore on the planet, and their ubiquity has led to concern regarding the impacts of dogs as predators of and competitors with native wildlife. If native large carnivores perceive dogs as threatening, impacts could extend to the community level by altering interactions between large carnivores and their prey. Dog impacts may be further exacerbated if these human-associated predators are also perceived as indicators of risk from humans. However, observational approaches used to date have led to ambiguity regarding the effects of dog presence on wildlife. We experimentally quantified dog impacts on the behavior of a native large carnivore, presenting playbacks of dog vocalizations to pumas in central California. We show that the perceived presence of dogs has minimal impacts on puma behavior at their kill sites, and is no more likely to affect total feeding time at kills than non-threatening controls. We previously demonstrated that pumas exhibit strong responses to human cues, and here show that perceived risk from human presence far exceeds that from dogs. Our results suggest that protected areas management policies that restrict dogs but permit human access may in some cases be of limited value for large carnivores.

SUBMITTER: Suraci JP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6704098 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach.

Suraci Justin P JP Smith Justine A JA Clinchy Michael M Zanette Liana Y LY Wilmers Christopher C CC

Scientific reports 20190821 1

Domestic dogs are the most abundant large carnivore on the planet, and their ubiquity has led to concern regarding the impacts of dogs as predators of and competitors with native wildlife. If native large carnivores perceive dogs as threatening, impacts could extend to the community level by altering interactions between large carnivores and their prey. Dog impacts may be further exacerbated if these human-associated predators are also perceived as indicators of risk from humans. However, observ ...[more]

PMID: 31434976

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Project description:BackgroundTransmission of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) from infected to naïve dogs is dependent on successful mosquito feeding and survival.MethodsTo determine whether treating heartworm-infected dogs with fluralaner (Bravecto®) limits the survival of infected mosquitoes, and potentially the transmission of D. immitis, we allowed female mosquitoes to feed on microfilaremic dogs and evaluated mosquito survival and infection with D. immitis. Eight dogs were experimentally infected with D. immitis. On day 0 (~ 11 months post-infection), four microfilaremic dogs were treated with fluralaner according to label directions while the other four were non-treated controls. Mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti Liverpool) were allowed to feed on each dog on days -7, 2, 30, 56, and 84. Fed mosquitoes were collected, and the number of live mosquitoes determined at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-feeding. Surviving mosquitoes held for 2 weeks were dissected to confirm third-stage D. immitis larvae; PCR (12S rRNA gene) was performed post-dissection to identify D. immitis in mosquitoes.ResultsPrior to treatment, 98.4%, 85.1%, 60.7%, and 40.3% of mosquitoes fed on microfilaremic dogs were alive at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-feeding, respectively. Similarly, mosquitoes fed on microfilaremic, non-treated dogs were alive 6 h post-feeding (98.5-100%) throughout the study. In contrast, mosquitoes fed on fluralaner-treated dogs 2 days after treatment were dead or severely moribund by 6 h post-feeding. At 30 and 56 days post-treatment, > 99% of mosquitoes fed on treated dogs were dead by 24 h. At 84 days post-treatment, 98.4% of mosquitoes fed on treated dogs were dead by 24 h. Before treatment, third-stage larvae of D. immitis were recovered from 15.5% of Ae. aegypti 2 weeks after feeding, and 72.4% were positive for D. immitis by PCR. Similarly, 17.7% of mosquitoes fed on non-treated dogs had D. immitis third-stage larvae 2 weeks after feeding, and 88.2% were positive by PCR. Five mosquitoes fed on fluralaner-treated dogs survived 2 weeks post-feeding, and 4/5 were from day 84. None had third-stage larvae at dissection, and all were PCR-negative.ConclusionThe data indicate that fluralaner treatment of dogs kills mosquitoes and thus would be expected to reduce transmission of heartworm in the surrounding community.

Project description:BackgroundIn Lithuania, the first case of canine subcutaneous dirofilariosis was recorded in 2010. Since then, an increasing number of cases of canine dirofilariosis have been documented in different veterinary clinics throughout the country. Human dirofilariosis was diagnosed in Lithuania for the first time in September 2011. However, to the authors' knowledge, there are no published data on the presence and prevalence of autochthonous dirofilariosis in dogs and humans in the country. The present study provides information about the predominant species and prevalence of Dirofilaria in dogs and describes the cases of human dirofilariosis in Lithuania. It also outlines PCR detection of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia that contributes to the inflammatory features of filarioid infection.ResultsA total of 2280 blood samples and six adult worms from pet and shelter dogs were collected in the central and eastern regions of Lithuania in 2013-2015. Based on their morphological appearance, morphometric measurements and molecular analysis, all the adult nematodes were identified as Dirofilaria repens. The diagnosis of microfilariae in blood samples was based on blood smear analysis and Knott's test. The PCR and sequence analysis of the ribosomal DNA ITS2 region and cox1 gene confirmed the presence of D. repens. Overall, 61 (2.7%) of the 2280 blood samples were found to be positive for the presence of D. repens. The infection rate of D. repens was significantly higher in shelter dogs (19.0%; 19/100) than in pet dogs (1.9%; 42/2180) (χ2 = 100.039, df = 1, P < 0.0001). Forty-nine DNA samples of D. repens-infected dogs were tested for the presence of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia and, of these, 40 samples (81.6%) were found to be positive. Three ocular and six subcutaneous cases of human dirofilariosis were diagnosed in Lithuania in the period 2011-2018.ConclusionsTo the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of autochthonous D. repens infection in dogs and humans in Lithuania. The present data demonstrate that D. repens is the main etiological agent of dirofilariosis in Lithuania. The DNA of the filarioid endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was detected in the vast majority of dogs infected with D. repens.

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Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach.

Publications

Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach.

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