Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares
The zoonotic disease tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis that infects both humans and wildlife in Sweden. Associations between outbreaks of tularemia and lakes and rivers have earlier been observed, and semi-aquatic rodents and mosquitoes are believed to be key species groups...
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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SLU/Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
2022
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855572936383004672 |
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| author | Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa |
| author_browse | Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa |
| author_facet | Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa |
| author_sort | Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | The zoonotic disease tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis that infects both humans and wildlife in Sweden. Associations between outbreaks of tularemia and lakes and rivers have earlier been observed, and semi-aquatic rodents and mosquitoes are believed to be key species groups in the epidemiological cycle of the disease. I have conducted a series of landscape analyses to assess land cover properties with focus on water availability at different spatial scales in areas of tularemia incidence, using data on hares found dead (n= 452) with known tularemia status, collected in 2016-2021, and land cover properties. As a complement, 56 water samples (biofilm and surface water) from lakes and beaver ponds in Sweden, covering latitudes from N 59° 29.0582’ in the south, to N 65° 52.4261’ in the north, were collected to investigate the occurrence of tularemia in different freshwater ecosystems. Results show significant correlations between tularemia occurrence and high soil moisture, and local proportion of inland water area. Water proximity as well as proportional wetland area both lack significant effects on tularemia status in hares. In water samples, I found F. tularensis in 11% of 56 samples, which were all taken from beaver systems. No difference in sampling depth could be found as F. tularensis was found in both biofilm and surface water. I suggest further investigations on F. tularensis in wetlands to a) assess the role of water biogeochemistry including pH, turbidity, and nutrient levels for occurrence and environmental persistence of the bacterium and b) evaluate the role of beaver systems for the epizootiology and epidemiology of tularemia with beavers as either reservoirs and/or beaver systems favoring vector (mosquito) habitat. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU17682 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU176822022-04-26T01:00:53Z Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa tularemia francisella tularensis hola beavers hares wetland restauration epizoology vector borne diseases The zoonotic disease tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis that infects both humans and wildlife in Sweden. Associations between outbreaks of tularemia and lakes and rivers have earlier been observed, and semi-aquatic rodents and mosquitoes are believed to be key species groups in the epidemiological cycle of the disease. I have conducted a series of landscape analyses to assess land cover properties with focus on water availability at different spatial scales in areas of tularemia incidence, using data on hares found dead (n= 452) with known tularemia status, collected in 2016-2021, and land cover properties. As a complement, 56 water samples (biofilm and surface water) from lakes and beaver ponds in Sweden, covering latitudes from N 59° 29.0582’ in the south, to N 65° 52.4261’ in the north, were collected to investigate the occurrence of tularemia in different freshwater ecosystems. Results show significant correlations between tularemia occurrence and high soil moisture, and local proportion of inland water area. Water proximity as well as proportional wetland area both lack significant effects on tularemia status in hares. In water samples, I found F. tularensis in 11% of 56 samples, which were all taken from beaver systems. No difference in sampling depth could be found as F. tularensis was found in both biofilm and surface water. I suggest further investigations on F. tularensis in wetlands to a) assess the role of water biogeochemistry including pH, turbidity, and nutrient levels for occurrence and environmental persistence of the bacterium and b) evaluate the role of beaver systems for the epizootiology and epidemiology of tularemia with beavers as either reservoirs and/or beaver systems favoring vector (mosquito) habitat. SLU/Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies 2022 H2 eng https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/17682/ |
| spellingShingle | tularemia francisella tularensis hola beavers hares wetland restauration epizoology vector borne diseases Pihlgren Hökby, Lovisa Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title | Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title_full | Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title_fullStr | Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title_short | Beaver wetland and lake effects on Francisella tularensis in Swedish landscapes and hares |
| title_sort | beaver wetland and lake effects on francisella tularensis in swedish landscapes and hares |
| topic | tularemia francisella tularensis hola beavers hares wetland restauration epizoology vector borne diseases |