Risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in Antarctic wildlife
- Barbosa, Andres, Varsani, Arvind, Morandini, Virginia, Grimaldi, Wray, Vanstreels, Ralph, Diaz, Julia, Boulinier, Thierry, Dewar, Meagan, González-Acuña, Daniel, Gray, Rachael, McMahon, Clive, Miller, Gary, Power, Michelle, Gamble, Amandine, Wille, Michelle
- Authors: Barbosa, Andres , Varsani, Arvind , Morandini, Virginia , Grimaldi, Wray , Vanstreels, Ralph , Diaz, Julia , Boulinier, Thierry , Dewar, Meagan , González-Acuña, Daniel , Gray, Rachael , McMahon, Clive , Miller, Gary , Power, Michelle , Gamble, Amandine , Wille, Michelle
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 755, no. 2 (2021), p. 1-8
- Full Text:
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- Description: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This pathogen has spread rapidly across the world, causing high numbers of deaths and significant social and economic impacts. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus with a suggested zoonotic origin with the potential for cross-species transmission among animals. Antarctica can be considered the only continent free of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential human introduction of this virus to the continent through the activities of research or tourism to minimise the effects on human health, and the potential for virus transmission to Antarctic wildlife. We assess the reverse-zoonotic transmission risk to Antarctic wildlife by considering the available information on host susceptibility, dynamics of the infection in humans, and contact interactions between humans and Antarctic wildlife. The environmental conditions in Antarctica seem to be favourable for the virus stability. Indoor spaces such as those at research stations, research vessels or tourist cruise ships could allow for more transmission among humans and depending on their movements between different locations the virus could be spread across the continent. Among Antarctic wildlife previous in silico analyses suggested that cetaceans are at greater risk of infection whereas seals and birds appear to be at a low infection risk. However, caution needed until further research is carried out and consequently, the precautionary principle should be applied. Field researchers handling animals are identified as the human group posing the highest risk of transmission to animals while tourists and other personnel pose a significant risk only when in close proximity (< 5 m) to Antarctic fauna. We highlight measures to reduce the risk as well as identify of knowledge gaps related to this issue. © 2020 The Authors
- Authors: Barbosa, Andres , Varsani, Arvind , Morandini, Virginia , Grimaldi, Wray , Vanstreels, Ralph , Diaz, Julia , Boulinier, Thierry , Dewar, Meagan , González-Acuña, Daniel , Gray, Rachael , McMahon, Clive , Miller, Gary , Power, Michelle , Gamble, Amandine , Wille, Michelle
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 755, no. 2 (2021), p. 1-8
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This pathogen has spread rapidly across the world, causing high numbers of deaths and significant social and economic impacts. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus with a suggested zoonotic origin with the potential for cross-species transmission among animals. Antarctica can be considered the only continent free of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential human introduction of this virus to the continent through the activities of research or tourism to minimise the effects on human health, and the potential for virus transmission to Antarctic wildlife. We assess the reverse-zoonotic transmission risk to Antarctic wildlife by considering the available information on host susceptibility, dynamics of the infection in humans, and contact interactions between humans and Antarctic wildlife. The environmental conditions in Antarctica seem to be favourable for the virus stability. Indoor spaces such as those at research stations, research vessels or tourist cruise ships could allow for more transmission among humans and depending on their movements between different locations the virus could be spread across the continent. Among Antarctic wildlife previous in silico analyses suggested that cetaceans are at greater risk of infection whereas seals and birds appear to be at a low infection risk. However, caution needed until further research is carried out and consequently, the precautionary principle should be applied. Field researchers handling animals are identified as the human group posing the highest risk of transmission to animals while tourists and other personnel pose a significant risk only when in close proximity (< 5 m) to Antarctic fauna. We highlight measures to reduce the risk as well as identify of knowledge gaps related to this issue. © 2020 The Authors
- Greenslade, Penelope, Potapov, Mikhail
- Authors: Greenslade, Penelope , Potapov, Mikhail
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Journal of Entomology Vol. 112, no. 2 (2015), p. 334-343
- Full Text: false
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- Description: A new species of Isotomidae (Collembola) was collected from submerged stones on the edge of nine lakes on Tasmania's Central Highland Plateau. Because it did not comply fully with the characters of any existing genus, a new genus, Chionobora gen. n. is erected for it here. An Antarctic species, Desoria klovstadi (Carpenter), has characters which conform with the new genus so is formally transferred to the new genus here. The Antarctic Continent and Tasmania were last in proximity 60 million years b.p. so it is suggested both species are relicts persisting in probable ice-free refugia during glacial cycles. Gut contents of specimens of the new species exclusively contained diatoms in various stages of digestion and the species appears to graze on aquatic macrophytes, a feeding habit not recorded before for Collembola. We note the high numbers of endemic invertebrate taxa of restricted distributions in cold habitats of southern regions compared to warmer regions and stress their conservation values and threats to their populations.
- Mateos, Eduardo, Greenslade, Penelope
- Authors: Mateos, Eduardo , Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Zootaxa Vol. 4044, no. 1 (2015), p. 105-129
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet is confused. Currently ten subgenera are recognised but their separation, using the existing set of diagnostic characters, is not clear. Collections over the last forty years have shown that species of Setogaster Salmon, originally described as a genus (Trichogaster Handschin) and currently considered a subgenus of Lepidocyrtus, are common and widespread in Australia. The diagnostic characters of Setogaster, as given by Handschin, are: 1) the basal mucronal spine with spinelet; 2) lack of scales on antennae, legs, ventral tube and dorsal region of manubrium; and, for some species, 3) tufts of long filaments laterally on abdomen III. These three diagnostic characters for Setogaster are shared with some other subgenera, making their delimitation unclear. We provide here an array of new characters that are associated with Handschin's characters which separate Setogaster from all European species of the subgenera Lanocyrtus and Lepidocyrtus s. str. On this basis we define subgenus Setogaster more in detail, redescribe some species in the subgenus, corroborate the presence of the subgenus in many Australian localities, and confirm three records of exotic, introduced species in Australia. Lepidocyrtus nigrofasciatus Womersley, Lepidocyrtus praecisus Schott, and the Hawaiian Lepidocyrtus kuakea Christiansen & Bellinger, are placed in Setogaster subgenus; Lepidocyrtus (Trichogaster) pallida Salmon from Singapore is placed in the subgenus Acrocyrtus; Merapicyrtus Yoshii & Suhardjono is considered a synonym of Setogaster. Erratum: Towards understanding Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) II: New Australian species (Zootaxa (2021) 4981 (365-387) DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4981.2.9). On page 365, please include additional address for Penelope Greenslade: School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University, Mt Helen, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. © 2021 Magnolia Press.
- Description: The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet is confused. Currently ten subgenera are recognised but their separation, using the existing set of diagnostic characters, is not clear. Collections over the last forty years have shown that species of Setogaster Salmon, originally described as a genus (Trichogaster Handschin) and currently considered a subgenus of Lepidocyrtus, are common and widespread in Australia. The diagnostic characters of Setogaster, as given by Handschin, are: 1) the basal mucronal spine with spinelet; 2) lack of scales on antennae, legs, ventral tube and dorsal region of manubrium; and, for some species, 3) tufts of long filaments laterally on abdomen III. These three diagnostic characters for Setogaster are shared with some other subgenera, making their delimitation unclear. We provide here an array of new characters that are associated with Handschin's characters which separate Setogaster from all European species of the subgenera Lanocyrtus and Lepidocyrtus s. str. On this basis we define subgenus Setogaster more in detail, redescribe some species in the subgenus, corroborate the presence of the subgenus in many Australian localities, and confirm three records of exotic, introduced species in Australia. Lepidocyrtus nigrofasciatus Womersley, Lepidocyrtus praecisus Schott, and the Hawaiian Lepidocyrtus kuakea Christiansen & Bellinger, are placed in Setogaster subgenus; Lepidocyrtus (Trichogaster) pallida Salmon from Singapore is placed in the subgenus Acrocyrtus; Merapicyrtus Yoshii & Suhardjono is considered a synonym of Setogaster.
Macroparasites in Antarctic penguins
- Fusaro, Bruno, Vidal,Virginia, González-Acuña, Daniel, Schneider Costa, Erli, Dewar, Meagan, Gray, Rachael, Power, Michelle, Miller, Gary, Blyton, Michaela, Vanstreels, Ralph, Barbosa, Andres
- Authors: Fusaro, Bruno , Vidal,Virginia , González-Acuña, Daniel , Schneider Costa, Erli , Dewar, Meagan , Gray, Rachael , Power, Michelle , Miller, Gary , Blyton, Michaela , Vanstreels, Ralph , Barbosa, Andres
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Biodiversity and evolution of parasitic life in the Southern Ocean Chapter 9 p. 183-204
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Parasitism is a highly common mode of living in animals being parasite species very abundant. Parasites affect in a different ways the host life through subtle effects to more dramatic effects causing population crashes and then regulating host populations. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean wildlife show also parasites although the published information is very scarce. This is even in the case of the most studied group of Antarctic seabirds, the penguins. In this chapter, we analyze the published information about the presence, epidemiology, life cycles, and effects of macroparasites, helminths, and ectoparasites in Antarctic penguins. Most of the publications only give information about the presence/absence of parasites, and very few give data about epidemiology such as prevalence or intensity of parasitization. The information about intermediate host is almost absent, and parasite effects have been addressed very few times. Moreover, the information is based on few areas, and there is not any long-term data set which makes difficult a broad understanding of the impact of parasites in the ecology of penguins. Nevertheless, the little information allows extracting some conclusions. First, the diversity of parasite species is very low which can be explained by the narrow diet spectrum and the harsh conditions. Second, helminths occur at higher prevalence than ectoparasites. In general, a trend of decreased macroparasite prevalence towards more southerly locations can be identified, although the small number of studies precludes a robust conclusion. Third, general parasite effects have been reported causing tissue damage, changes in immune parameters, reduction in body mass, reduction of breeding success, and transmission of diseases, this later in the case of ticks. Finally, it is expected that climate change will affect host-parasite interaction in penguins due to changes in the parasite distribution, host exposure, or resistance, but a higher number of studies with good quality data at long term are needed to confirm the expectations and a deeper understanding of the ecological aspects of parasites such as life cycle, epidemiology, and health impacts in the penguins.
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