Invasive Raccoon Dog - emerging secondary host of rabies in Europe (1 Viewer)

[locustella]

Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, especially in the Baltic States, according to some of data, like this paper:

http://www.jwildlifedis.org/content/45/4/1121.full.pdf
Singer A., Kauhala K, Holmala K., Smith G.C., Rabies in northeastern Europe—the threat from invasive raccoon dogs, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 45(4), 2009, pp. 1121–1137, Wildlife Disease Association

Do not confuse this species with nice Raccoon (Procyon lotor), which is one of several reservoir species of rabies in North America. The main terrestrial vector in Europe obviously is the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes).

Some of people say, that rabbies is important factor controlling Red Fox population. Fore example here:

http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle/j$002fmamm.2000.64.issue-4$002fmamm.2000.64.4.391$002fmamm.2000.64.4.391.xml;jsessionid=BDFCA6AE1931F3EE4D3876C30776C8FE
Chautan M., Pontier D., Artois M., Role of rabies in recent demographic changes in Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations in Europe, Euro-American Mammal Congress, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July 20-24, 1998, Mammalia, r.64, n 4, 2000: 391-410

is written, that eradication of rabies and human-caused changes appear to be responsible for increase of Red Fox abundance in some regions of Europe.

Supporters of fox hunting say, that after in 1934 Germany banded Red Fox hunt, in 1947 just after end of the war rabies epizootic began spred from east towards western Europe ( http://hsa.enviroweb.org/index.php/resources/library/308-do-foxes-need-culling , http://vri.cz/docs/vetmed/49-5-171.pdf ).

There are known accidental cases of rabbies in birds:
Paarman E., Ein Beitrag zur Lyssa der Vögel. Z. Hyg. Infectionskr. 141, 103, 1955
Schneider L. G., Eissner G., Zur der Tollwutinfektion Hühnern. Tierärztl. Umsch. 21, 647, 1966.
so each warm-blooded animal can get it. I haven't red these articles, but it is possible very easy at least in the lab.
And rabies happens very very frequently in bats. This is not known too much to public, what is obviously better for these animals.

Circumstantial evidence suggests that the rabies virus originated in Africa, but currently it is present even in Alaska. The UK lost the status of a rabies-free country according to the WHO rules since the 27th September 2002.

 

[Farnboro John]

Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, especially in the Baltic States, according to some of data, like this paper:

http://www.jwildlifedis.org/content/45/4/1121.full.pdf
Singer A., Kauhala K, Holmala K., Smith G.C., Rabies in northeastern Europe—the threat from invasive raccoon dogs, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 45(4), 2009, pp. 1121–1137, Wildlife Disease Association

Do not confuse this species with nice Raccoon (Procyon lotor), which is one of several reservoir species of rabies in North America. The main terrestrial vector in Europe obviously is the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes).

Some of people say, that rabbies is important factor controlling Red Fox population. Fore example here:

http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle/j$002fmamm.2000.64.issue-4$002fmamm.2000.64.4.391$002fmamm.2000.64.4.391.xml;jsessionid=BDFCA6AE1931F3EE4D3876C30776C8FE
Chautan M., Pontier D., Artois M., Role of rabies in recent demographic changes in Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations in Europe, Euro-American Mammal Congress, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July 20-24, 1998, Mammalia, r.64, n 4, 2000: 391-410

is written, that eradication of rabies and human-caused changes appear to be responsible for increase of Red Fox abundance in some regions of Europe.

Supporters of fox hunting say, that after in 1934 Germany banded Red Fox hunt, in 1947 just after end of the war rabies epizootic began spred from east towards western Europe ( http://hsa.enviroweb.org/index.php/resources/library/308-do-foxes-need-culling , http://vri.cz/docs/vetmed/49-5-171.pdf ).

There are known accidental cases of rabbies in birds:
Paarman E., Ein Beitrag zur Lyssa der Vögel. Z. Hyg. Infectionskr. 141, 103, 1955
Schneider L. G., Eissner G., Zur der Tollwutinfektion Hühnern. Tierärztl. Umsch. 21, 647, 1966.
so each warm-blooded animal can get it. I haven't red these articles, but it is possible very easy at least in the lab.
And rabies happens very very frequently in bats. This is not known too much to public, what is obviously better for these animals.

Circumstantial evidence suggests that the rabies virus originated in Africa, but currently it is present even in Alaska. The UK lost the status of a rabies-free country according to the WHO rules since the 27th September 2002.

Like most things, rabies is not a big deal for Nature. It just scares the hell out of humans.

John

 

[MJB]

Like most things, rabies is not a big deal for Nature. It just scares the hell out of humans. John

In general, that's correct, but in a number of host mammals, it induces aberrant behaviour, making them adopt aggressive behaviour towards much larger creatures; if that's a raccoon in the USA tackling a mountain lion or a bear, fine, but if it's approaching and threatening a human birder walking the Snake Bight trail in southern Florida (where there are ample warnings to back away from over-ambitious raccoons), then being scared is a rational reaction.

I've seen raccoon dog in Slovakia, where I believe it was introduced by bored Soviet officers to provide a rationale for their idea of hunting as a hobby. It's quite a bold animal when out in daylight, and one was definitely reminiscent of its aggressive US namesake; again, its role as a carrier of rabies is well-known, and so I partook in a positive retreat...:eek!:

Quite how we might remove this voracious omnivore from European habitats well beyond its normal range, I can't imagine.
MJB

 

[Farnboro John]

Quite how we might remove this voracious omnivore from European habitats well beyond its normal range, I can't imagine.
MJB

I believe they are quite sensitive to the presence of wolves

John

 

[Isurus]

I wiki'd racoon dog to try and get more of a feel for the extent of its introduced range and intriguingly there is a suggestion they are predated by goshawks. I know Gos can take big stuff but surely not?

 

[Farnboro John]

I wiki'd racoon dog to try and get more of a feel for the extent of its introduced range and intriguingly there is a suggestion they are predated by goshawks. I know Gos can take big stuff but surely not?

Its about surprise, but it may also mean pups rather than adults.

John

 

[jurek]

Raccoon Dogs are, I am afraid, here to stay. They successfuly live (also) in large forests, with native predators like lynxes and wolves. Strange info about Goshawks - I think they may kill only pups, or very weak adults, and perhaps only sporadically?

Rabies virus is certainly important in regulating numbers of foxes, raccoon dogs and other small carnivores. These increased recently in C Europe and in turn, decimate broods of ground-nesting birds like Black Grouse and waders.