OSU researcher pinpoints pollution sources

OSU researcher pinpoints pollution sources
By Carol Savonen, Oregon State University - December 20, 2006


CORVALLIS — An Oregon State University microbiologist has developed a molecular test to determine the source of fecal contamination in water.

This type of detection, called “fecal source tracking,” is both faster and far more specific than traditional standard fecal coliform tests, according to Katharine G. Field, who developed the test. Results of a Tillamook Bay-based study using the new methodology were published in a recent issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Field and her colleagues found a way to use gene amplification to determine the kind of fecal bacteria in polluted water and its source. Their new technique detects the presence of markers — unique gene sequences from specific strains of bacteria — found in host species such as humans or cows.

Until a few years ago, it was impossible to pinpoint specific causes of fecal contamination, which can come from any number of sources. Septic tanks percolating into the groundwater, overflow from wastewater treatment plants and runoff from a confined cattle feeding operation are usual suspects for fecal contamination of water. Deer and elk droppings and waste from water birds, dogs and cats have been blamed for water pollution problems, as well.

“Traditional testing tells you that you have contamination, but not where it comes from,” said Field, a microbiologist with OSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station. “The standard tests, growing fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli, can’t distinguish between human, elk, bird, cattle or pet-based fecal sources.

“And this is the kind of test that regulations are still based on,” she added. “The laws have nothing to do with the source of the contamination.”

Oregon’s Tillamook Bay typically suffers chronic “non-point” fecal contamination that periodically poses risks to human health and the area’s shellfish industry. Previously, no one could really pinpoint the source of the water pollution problem, beyond the association with coliform bacteria, found in all warm-blooded animal feces. Field chose this coastal region to try out her new techniques and help ease a local environmental health problem.

Results showed that in the majority of the Tillamook watershed, cows were the most important source of contamination, although human sewage was occasionally a problem, especially in the bay and near the towns, she said.

Now that the sources of contamination are confirmed, the Tillamook Bay community can clean it up and prevent a problem from happening again.

“Now managers on the North Coast can focus on fixing the big problems — mitigating runoff from cattle, fixing fences, and improving drainage problems,” Field said.

Field’s group has developed genetic markers for bacteria from a number of host species. They can now assay polluted water samples directly for the presence of the marker genes, revealing the source of the fecal contamination. Their technique has been able to detect the difference between fecal anaerobic bacteria from humans, cows and other ruminants, dogs, pigs, horses and elk.

With a new patent, Field is now focusing on developing a simple kit that contains everything needed to perform the test. She also wants to expand the number of genetic markers, eventually to include all the animals likely to be a source of contamination, even marine mammals and wild birds.

interaction between urban environment & animals: planning

Interaction between the environment and animals in urban settings: integrated and participatory planning.
PubMed.com

1: Environ Manage. 2006 Nov;38(5):799-809. Epub 2006 Sep 2.

Interaction between the environment and animals in urban settings: integrated and participatory planning.

Tarsitano E.
Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy, e.tarsitano@veterinaria.uniba.it.

In urban ecosystems, the ecological system has become completely unbalanced; this, in turn, has led to an increase in well-known problems such as air pollution, ground pollution, and water pollution. This imbalance has also led to the growth and spread of pathogens harmful to man, animals, and plants. Urban sustainability indicators, both global and local, also "indicate" the percentage of population, but these refer only to the human population, not the animal population. Cities need good waste, water, and air management, effective traffic planning, and good zoning of businesses, crafts, and services; over and above these activities, cities also need for planning to take into account the existence of pets (dogs, cats, and etc.) and nonpet animals (insects, birds, mice, etc.). Cities tend to be designed around humans and "on a human scale," without taking into account the fact that a huge animal population is living side by side with people. That explains why overcrowding tends to go hand in hand with urbanization; all these populations, including humans, need to adapt to new spaces and often need to drastically change their behavior. This is a fact that must be included when drafting sustainable city plans. The supposed strategy is that of "integrated-participatory" control of the interactions between the environment and animals in the cities. Strategy will focus on the development of integrated approaches and tools for environment and animal management in the context of urban settings. This will require such specific methods as ecological balance sheets and ecoplans for the planning, management, and control of the interrelation among environment, animal, and public health. The objective is to develop a better understanding of urban biodiversity and of urban ecosystem functioning, in order to understand and minimize the negative impacts of human activities on them. The research will focus on assessing and forecasting changes in urban biodiversity, structure, function, and dynamics of urban ecosystems, with relationships among society, economy, biodiversity, and habitats.

PMID: 16955234 [PubMed - in process]

Contraception for population control in exotic carnivores

Contraception for population control in exotic carnivores.
PubMed.com
Abstract

1: Theriogenology. 2006 Oct;66(6-7):1525-9. Epub 2006 Feb 17.

Contraception for population control in exotic carnivores.
Jewgenow K, Dehnhard M, Hildebrandt TB, Goritz F.
Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research, PF 601103, D-10252 Berlin, Germany. Jewgenow@izw-berlin.de
There is an increasing demand for management of feral and wild carnivores; since many of them have become "pest species" by adapting successfully to changing environments, having substantial impacts on their prey species, and serving as reservoirs for infectious diseases. Also in captivity, a low adult mortality and an increase in longevity, especially in large carnivores, cause an urgent need for population management. This paper presents an overview on contraceptive strategies to control reproduction in carnivores. Factors that have to be considered before applying a certain method for fertility suppression are discussed. For birth control, several methods of hormonal chemosterilization, immunocontraception and pregnancy termination have been developed in domestic and captive exotic carnivores, but none of them are yet suitable for free-ranging animals. GnRH agonists, which suppress pituitary function very efficiently, are recommended in captive and domestic animals for reversible contraception. Immunological contraception, causing prolonged infertility after single application, is a promising approach for feral animals. However, a specific gamete or hormone-derived "self" antigen must be identified for each particular species.

AAFP president thinks globally

AAFP president thinks globally
Scherk hopes to form alliances, share resources
JAVMA News - December 15, 2006
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association


Dr. Margie Scherk has never had a dog, but she currently keeps 11 cats between her home and practice—Cats Only Veterinary Clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The incoming president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners wants the organization to help unite cat owners and veterinarians around the world in improving the care of their feline friends.

Dr. Scherk didn't set out to be a cat veterinarian, though.

The veterinarian
As a child in Toronto, she wanted to study the behavior of primates or large cats. Then she spent summers working with horses. She planned to be an equine practitioner when she entered Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, and she wanted to work in dairy when she graduated in 1982.

Dr. Scherk actually entered mixed practice in British Columbia.

"I found that I enjoyed the small animals, but also the interaction with clients—which surprised me because I was going into it for the animals, not the people," she said.

Dr. Scherk later took a job as a staff veterinarian for the Vancouver Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In the shelter, she noticed how uncomfortable cats were in an environment full of barking dogs.

"I thought they were getting the short end of the deal," Dr. Scherk said. "I'd never heard of a cat practice at that point in time, so I started doing some house calls while this idea was gelling—along with relief work."

She opened her cat clinic 20 years ago, and she hasn't looked back.

Dr. Scherk became active in the AAFP in 1989. She has served as a member of the program committee and the guidelines committee, and she was the newsletter editor for a number of years. She is the founding editor of the Feline Internal Medicine Folder on the Veterinary Information Network, and she is the North American editor for the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Scherk became a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners with the first group in the feline category in 1995. She has written questions for the certifying examination and the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. She also helps organize courses in feline medicine for the North American Veterinary Conference summer institutes.

Dr. Scherk spends three days a week in her practice and four days a week outside the office—but still working within the veterinary profession. She devotes time to teaching, surgery, and research as well as organized medicine. She is most proud of helping introduce the transdermal fentanyl patch to veterinary medicine.

The association
As AAFP president in 2007, Dr. Scherk plans to broaden outreach.

"One of our five key goals is growth, so we can get our messages out to more practitioners—to help more practitioners improve the health and well-being of cats," Dr. Scherk said.

Dr. Scherk will encourage small animal practitioners to become AAFP members or to participate in AAFP events. The AAFP also will be monitoring member renewals and whether student members become practitioner members. The association has 35 student chapters—with student benefits that include free access to the electronic journal, electronic newsletter, and AAFP rounds on VIN.

Dr. Scherk also wants to broaden the association's international outreach.

"Sharing our wonderful guidelines and some of the ways we do things, as well as learning from other cultures and other organizations, will benefit everyone," she said.

Dr. Scherk said the AAFP can form stronger relationships with organizations around the world, such as the European Society of Feline Medicine.

Dr. Scherk hopes to strengthen AAFP offerings for continuing education, too. Feline practitioners founded the AAFP more than three decades ago because of the lack of CE and a network structure in the field at that time. Now the AAFP isn't the only organization on the continent to offer CE in feline medicine.

Dr. Scherk added that AAFP members realize they often preach to the choir and that the association can share resources for improving cat care beyond the membership. The AAFP is trying to reach nonmembers with veterinary guidelines, for example, and to reach cat owners and veterinarians alike by building a new Web site.

"I'm hoping it will be 'the' cat information source," Dr. Scherk said.

The AAFP also has partnered with industry to distribute information to a wider audience than in the past. The association is working with Fort Dodge Animal Health on the Healthy Cats for Life public awareness campaign.

Dr. Scherk said the AAFP is partnering with other organizations to look at issues in animal welfare, such as the issue of feral cats.

"I'm all about alliances," Dr. Scherk said.

– KATIE BURNS

American Veterinary Medical Association
Copyright © 2006

Feral cat colonies legalized Salt Lake City

Feral cat colonies legalized for SLC
'Custodians' must arrange for neutering, food, medical care
Salt Lake Tribune, UT - Dec 12, 2006
By Heather May, The Salt Lake Tribune


Salt Lake City has legalized feral cat colonies, with the goal of reducing the number of the wild animals.
On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to allow "cat custodians" to register colonies for an annual $5 fee. The caretakers must first prove the cats have been sterilized and vaccinated. They also must feed the cats, while ensuring the food won't become a magnet for rodents and insects.
Council members kept the fee low in recognition of other costs incurred by the custodians.
"These people take care of the neutering of these animals," said Councilman Eric Jergensen. "The easier we can make that process, the more likely someone will participate in that process."
The goal is to reduce the number of feral cats through sterilization. While some studies have shown such "trap, neuter, release" programs offer only a short-term fix at reducing cat populations, there is proof that they do work to some degree. West Valley City has seen the number of feral cats euthanized or brought to the animal shelter drop since it created a feral cat program.
Diane Keay, with the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, questioned the safety of the colonies, noting that the regular feeding could lure rats and raccoons. And she noted the cats will have to be re-trapped to get a series of vaccines.
But groups like No More Homeless Pets
in Utah praise the programs for being humane and protecting community health and safety.
The feral cat ordinance is part of a larger overhaul of animal control rules. But the council wasn't ready to vote on the more controversial portion: allowing more than two dogs and two cats per household.
-- hmay@sltrib.com

Study: Aging cats can develop feline Alzheimer's

Cats Can Succumb to Feline Alzheimer's
Ageing cats can develop a feline form of Alzheimer's disease, a new study reveals.
University of Edinburgh - December 6, 2006


Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Bristol and California have identified a key protein which can build up in the nerve cells of a cat's brain and cause mental deterioration.

In humans with Alzheimer's disease, this protein creates ‘tangles’ inside the nerve cells which inhibit messages being processed by the brain. The team says that the presence of this protein in cats is proof that they too can develop this type of disease.

By carrying out post-mortem examination of cats which have succumbed naturally to the disease, scientists may now be able to uncover vital clues about how the condition develops. This may eventually help scientists to come up with possible treatments.

Researchers already thought cats were susceptible to dementia because previous studies had identified thick, gritty plaques on the outside of elderly cats' brain cells which are similar to those found in humans.

By pinpointing this second key marker, the Edinburgh-led team says we can be sure that cats can suffer from a feline form of Alzheimer's.

Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said:

“This newly discovered protein is crucial to our understanding of the ageing process in cats. We've known for a long time that cats develop dementia, but this study tells us that the cat's neural system is being compromised in a similar fashion to that we see in human Alzheimer's sufferers. The gritty plaques had only hinted that might be the case - now we know.

“The shorter life-span of a cat, compared to humans, allows researchers to more rapidly assess the effects of diet, high blood pressure, and prescribed drugs on the course of the disease. However, we also need to understand more about our geriatric cats for their own benefit, so we can slow down the degeneration the disease brings and keep them as happy cats for as long as possible.”

The findings of the study are published in a recent edition of the Journal of Feline Medicine.

Related Links
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Journal of Feline Medicine
European Society of Feline Medicine

petition to list Tricolored Blackbird

[Federal Register: December 5, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 233)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 70483-70492]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05de06-14]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on
a Petition To List the Tricolored Blackbird as Threatened or Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the tricolored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the tricolored blackbird may be warranted. Therefore, we will not be initiating a status review in response to this petition. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of, or threats to, the tricolored blackbird or its habitat at any time.

[Excerpt]
The petition also cites a long list of historic, native predators that may have preyed upon tricolored blackbirds, and claims there have been recent reports of predation on tricolored blackbird colonies by feral cats (Felis catus) (Beedy and Hamilton 1997, p. 17).

[Excerpt]
The petitioner cited Beedy and Hamilton (1997, p. 17) as stating that predation on tricolored blackbird nests by feral cats is a recent phenomenon. We found that Beedy and Hamilton (1997, p. 17) cited Payne (1969, p. 25) who reported predation of tricolored blackbirds by feral cats. Payne (1969, p. 25) states that dozens of tricolored blackbird adults were found dead around a marsh in Marysville, California, and appeared to have been killed by numerous feral cats. While the Service agrees that predation on the species' nests by feral cats is a more recent occurrence than other predation reported in the early 1900s, there is no current evidence available to us or supplied by the petitioner to suggest that feral cat predation is significant range wide, or a threat to the continued existence of the tricolored blackbird.

feral cats in hawaii

Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)
Meeting Notes
November 1, 2006
(downloadable pdf file)
Hawaii Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch
Honolulu, HI

[Excerpt]
Updates – continued:

DLNR-DOFAW (Mindy Wilkinson, DOFAW Invasive Species Coordinator)
[Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources - Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife]
[Excerpt]

• "There will be a new feral cat bill in the Leg this year. The impact of feral cats on seabirds is tremendous, and there are no consistent methods to deal with them."

{End of excerpt]

See also: Invasive species committees & councils of Hawaii at
Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR)

What they do:

"CGAPS The Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) is a multi-agency partnership to coordinate more effective protection for Hawai'i's economy, environment, health, and way of life from harmful alien pests."
"HEAR The mission of the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is to provide technology, methods, and information to decision-makers, resource managers, and the general public to help support effective science-based management of harmful non-native species in Hawai'i and the Pacific."

Two relevant publications issued in 2006 regarding feral cats in Hawaii previously posted on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog!:

* "Impacts of Feral and Free-ranging Cats on Bird Species of Conservation Concern: A Five State Review of New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Hawaii"
May 2006
American Bird Conservancy (ABC) / Cats Indoors!
funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
downloadable pdf file: http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/NFWF.pdf

* "Feral Cats: Too Long a Threat to Hawaiian Wildlife"
Feral Cat “Factsheet” (my quotes!), US Geological Survey (USGS)
downloadable pdf file: http://biology.usgs.gov/pierc/Fact%20Sheets/%20Feral_Cats_7_low-res.pdf

Selected Hawaii-related previous 2006 posts on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog!