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Mauro Delogu DVM, Ph.D.Lab of Pathogens Ecology

Department of Veterinary Medical SciencesBologna University-Italy mauro.delogu@unibo.it

European Union Reference Laboratory for ParasitesTenth Workshop of National Reference Laboratories for Parasites

14‐15 May, 2015

Istituto Superiore di SanitàRoom Marotta, viale Regina Elena 299

00161 Rome, Italy

Selection and interpretation of data from wildlife reservoir of foodborne parasites

Is this geological era changing ?

In this context the human population growth induced strong changes in the ecology of our planet

In this presentation I would like to show you a perspective aboutthe Human ecology and the possible implication of our specie inthe foodborne parasitic zoonosis during changes in theecosystem.I will describe some examples about changes in the populationdynamics related to environmental changes of some Wildspecies reservoirs for parasitic foodborne zoonoses like wildboar, foxes, (Trichinella) in Europe and Asia, Wolves and theirwild hybrids with the dog, Jackals, Raccoon Dog (Echinococcus)in south Europe and that of the Striped dolphins (Anisakis) inMediterranean sea

The  Palearctic (European) context

The Anthropocene could be said to have started in the laEighteenth century when analysis of air trapped in police showed the beginning ofgrowing global concentrationof carbon dioxide and methane. 

At the end of Holocene start The Anthropocene

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Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. Geologists break this history down into blocks of time known as eras, epochs, periods, ages. Eras and epochs are usually separated by a major change. The epoch we are in is the Holocene. It began as the last Ice Age began to shrink, around 12,000 years ago. 

Modern humans first stepped out onto African plains 200,000 years ago. But it has only been during the Holocene that human civilization has developed. Throughout our history, humans have had significant local effects on the environment. That has 

Landscapes Archetypes

But are these landscapes still natural ecosystems? From biomes to anthromes: a paradigm shift

Anthromes are human systems, with natural systems embedded within themMost of the biosphere is reshaped byhuman systems.Human systems are primary shapers ofecosystem form, process and biodiversity.They create and sustain a diverse spectrumof anthropogenic ecosystems.Planetary stewardship based on humans aspermanent managers of the biosphere.

Biosphere as a set of naturalsystems, with the evolutioninfluenced by biodiversity

The human presence has thesame influence as that of allother species

BiomesAnthromes

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Our specie: the great acceleration From 2010, people living in urban areas are more than people living in rural areas

New Biomasses

Humans moving from  wildland to dense settlments change the enironment

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Global population declines in mammals and birds. The number of species defined byIUCN as currently experiencing decline, represented in numbers of individuals per10,000 km2 for mammals and birds, shows profound impacts of defaunation acrossthe globe.

Dirzo et all. Defaunation in the Anthropocene Science 25 July 2014: Vol. 345 no. 6195 pp. 401‐406 

Defaunation across the globe

Human movements potentially  transfer other species  (desired or incidental)

Invasive Alien Species in U.E. : 13000 described

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Urban Ecology simplified: anthropophilic speciesThe terms “urban adapters” and “urban avoiders” serve tocategorize bird and animal species according to theirability to survive and even thrive in urban environments.

Adapters are plants or animals that are able to adapt their lives to the city environment.  They are able to find and use sources of food and shelter found in urban environments.  They thrive especially in suburban conditions, where back yards and empty lots provide a venue as well as resources for adapter species to exploit.  

Avoiders, are not able to find the food and shelter resourceso they need to move outside of large tracts of theirnatural habitat and they tend to be sensitive todisturbances to their habitat .

Urban exploiters or invaders. Rats are a good example, theyfind urban environments so hospitable and a big number ofthem live inside of cities than anywhere else

Recent changes in the marine ecosystems of the northern Adriatic Sea

Eutrophication pressure and its consequences on the oxygen budget

The increasing temperature in shallow water can significantly accelerate thedegradation of organic matter and, consequently the oxygen consumption, aswell as the plankton and benthos community structures.

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Can  the reduction of Oxygen concentration influence the selection of the prey in  pelagic striped dolphin?

Hypoxia has been documented to affect fishactivity and metabolism, recent evidenceshows that hypoxia can also have a detrimentaleffect on various antipredator behaviours likefish escape responses, its modulation byaquatic surface respiration (ASR) and schoolingbehaviour.November 2007 Volume: 362 Issue: 1487

hypoxia can also have a detrimental effect on  fish anti predator behaviour

Oceanic dolphins   hosts of the  Anisakis simplex complex (clade I)

From  Simonetta Mattiucci ‐Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica ‐ La Sapienza ‐Roma

Heavy gastric  infection due to Anisakis spp . with ulcers in stranded Stenella striata in Adriatic sea  

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CLIMATE CHANGES  ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES      WILDLIFE CHANGES:THE WILD ERBIVORES   POPULATION GROWTH AND THERE IS A CONSEQUENT INCREASE OF PREDATOR AND SCAVANGERS POPULATION RESPONSE

Red DeerRoe Deer

Fallow Deer

Wild Boar

Like to wild herbivores, wild boar ( an omnivourus species) increase strongly their population in the last decades in different European Countries. A simultaneous increase in numbers is observed throughout the whole area. Potentially favourable factors play a part in this process and certain reproductive and dispersive characteristics favour its invasive behaviour. 

Climate Change's  have a Clear Winners: Europe's Wild Boar Population Exploding.

Wild boar‐Trichinella spp.Echinococcus multilocularis‐France‐incomplete larval developmentAFFSA‐2005‐Vet.Parasitol.15‐129. (3‐4) 259‐266

Distribuzione

Global warmingReduction of hunting activity

HybridizationStrong 

demographicresilience

Reduction of agriculture in mountain areas

Factors influencing theWild boar

population growth

Factors influencing the Wild boar population growth : Landscapes with a mosaic of forests and agricultural fields should provide a good habitat for wild boar in large parts of Europe and can  be necessary their population management through  hunting or by direct capture with cage 

traps. Local density range from 2/3 to over 20 wild boar for Square Km.

Predation by wolves on young snot influence population growth

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Changes in Behaviour:«The hurban» wild boar

Wild hybrid with domestic pigEscaped reared hybrid with domestic pig

Who is the wild boar now?

Hunting activities : our bush meat and meat control for parasites(poaching may be a big problem in  diseases surveillance) 

Mortality factors

In northern areas, climatic change will likely increase thepotential population densities of the animals by reducingenergy needs during winter and increasing food availability,reducing juvenile mortality

Mortality factorsClimate change, Fires and  wild boar migrations for food

Mortality factors

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Large carnivores are making a comeback in Europe as a consequence of wild herbivores  and wild boar population growth

There are 44 alien mammal species in Europe, these include several carnivore species, such asthe American mink Neovison vison, raccoon Procyon lotor and raccoon dog Nyctereutesprocyonoides. They were brought to Europe because of their valuable fur or as pets and eitherescaped or were intentionally introduced into the wild (Genovesi et al., 2009). Thesecarnivores are widespread in Europe, occurring in over 10 European countries.

Raccoon dogs are the only canids known to hibernate.

Raccoon Dog rangeBlue—nativeRed—introduced

Invasion of the raccoon dog  Nyctereutes procyonoides in  Europe:The raccoon dog is an important vector of diseases and parasites, such as rabies, Echinococcusmultilocularis and Trichinella spp. (4 different T. species and show most intense infection) and this is no doubt the most severe consequence arising from the spread of this alien species in Europe [Current Zoology57 (5): 584–598, 2011]

In northern Italy raccoon dogs werephotographed in 2005 (P. Genovesi, inlitt.), showing that the species hasmanaged to cross the Alps

Populations spread at a rate of 40 km per year (and even up to 120 km per year) from theintroduction sites (Lavrov, 1971

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Nyctereutes procyonoides,Raccoon dogs will possibly widen their distribution area northwards due to climate change. Increased spring precipitation in the form of snow at higher latitudes may, however, compensate for the effect of global warming (Melis et al., 2010)

Wolves (Canis lupus) and lynx (Lynx lynx) are the natural predator of raccoon dogs. In Countrieswhere wolves and lynx are very scarce, raccoon dogs may have a rapid spread. Current Zoology Vol. 57 No. 5

The increase in the population of large herbivores has allowed the reappearance of the wolf in Europe

wolf feces containing tooth of a fallow deer

Echinococcus granulosus/ multilocularisTrichinella spp (britovi and spiralis)

The wolvesdistributionin Europe

The wolves : Traditionally, Europe hasnine wolf population zonesincluding Scandinavia, theBaltic states, Poland,Romania, south‐easternFrance, Italy and the Iberianpeninsula in Spain

Hybrids in the wild Wolves X Dog

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A Fallow deer adult female (80Kg) hunted in the field by  wolves was totally eaten by wolvesand wild boar in 26 hours. 44  Wild boars and 2 wolves eat on the carcass. Wolves prefer to eatmeat , while wild boar eat all the remaining part of the deer  body.

Food availability produced by wolves  may support the wild boar population growth

Jackal (Canis aureus)

jackal dispersal movements …a new entry 

Echinococcus multilocularisTrichinella spiralis

Jackal dispersal movements from east to west : new ecological opportunity for zoonotic parasites?

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes)A new rodent as a food source 

The past

The future?

Echinococcus multilocularisTrichinella spp.(britovi and spiralis)

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Volpe rossa (Vulpes vulpes/ ichnusae)

The wild population (strongly limited by environmental factors) The urban population is increasing…..

Red fox indirectly managed : Game speciesreared and released may influence the Red foxpopulation dynamics ( high food availability forshort time).

Thanks all for your attention