Suchergebnisse

AbstractUrbanized areas contain fragmented landscapes and abundant resources, resulting in concentrated and increased wildlife populations in relatively close contact with other wildlife species, humans, and their domestic pets, thereby posing novel disease risks and facilitating inter-specific disease transmission. We trapped and radio-collared 15 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 14 coyotes (Canis latrans) in the urban landscape of Madison, Wisconsin, to determine the prevalence of disease among these canids and to examine how these canids were using the landscape. Using Fisher's exact probability tests, we found that coyotes had a significantly higher seroprevalence of Lyme disease (P = 0.002) and a higher prevalence of canine heartworm disease (P = 0.02) than foxes. Red foxes did not select specific habitat types in the urban landscape, but coyotes selected for forest and grass cover types, and avoided developed sites. Understanding the prevalence of disease in urban canid populations is important because diseases affecting urban canids cause morbidity and mortality and are transmissible to domestic dogs, and vice versa. Additionally, urban canids may serve as sentinels for zoonotic diseases such as Lyme disease and leptospirosis.