Browsing by Author "Napolitano, Constanza"

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    A forest-specialist carnivore in the middle of the desert?Comments on Anabalon et al. 2019
    (2020) Moreira Arce, Darío; Silva Rodríguez, Eduardo A.; Napolitano, Constanza; D’Elía, Guillermo; Cabello, Javier; Millán, Javier; Hidalgo Hermoso, Ezequiel; Farías Piccolini Ariel Alejandro
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    Free-roaming domestic cats near conservation areas in Chile: Spatial movements, human care and risks for wildlife
    (2021) Jose Lopez-Jara, Maria; Sacristan, Irene; Farias, Ariel A.; Maron-Perez, Francisca; Acuna, Francisca; Aguilar, Emilio; Garcia, Sebastian; Contreras, Patricio; Silva-Rodriguez, Eduardo A.; Napolitano, Constanza
    Free-roaming domestic cats can negatively affect wildlife, and understanding how they use space is fundamental to predict their potential impacts. In this study we describe the use of space of 48 owned free-roaming cats and assess the level of care provided by owners in rural areas near priority conservation areas in southern Chile. Additionally, we use camera trap data from two protected areas to assess spatial overlap with wild vertebrates, particularly the guigna (Leopardus guigna), a vulnerable forest-dwelling felid. Cat home ranges were variable (1-47.2 hectares) and their activity was mostly concentrated within 100 meters of the household, with maximum foray distances up to 2.5 km. Cats used wooded areas (12% of fixes on average), mostly native forest, where spatial overlap with endemic and/or threatened species was documented. Nonetheless cats were infrequently detected in nearby protected areas (1.7% of GPS locations and 1% of the cameras). The use of wooded areas was strongly associated with the distance from the household to the forest edge and home range areas were negatively associated with house density. Our findings suggest that in areas isolated from households (>200 m), the problem of cats is marginal and restricted to the edges. Management was in general deficient, observing birth control in only 13% of cats and lack of preventive health care in 86% of cats. Cat impacts could be exacerbated under increasing land subdivision in southern Chile where, without population control strategies, cats may become an emergent threat for native wildlife.
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    SEROSURVEY FOR SELECTED PARASITIC AND BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN DARWIN'S FOX (LYCALOPEX FULVIPES): NOT ONLY DOG DISEASES ARE A THREAT
    (2022) Hidalgo-Hermoso, Ezequiel; Cabello, Javier; Verasay, Juan; Moreira-Arce, Dario; Hidalgo, Marcos; Abalos, Pedro; Borie, Consuelo; Galarce, Nicolas; Napolitano, Constanza; Sacristan, Irene; Cevidanes, Aitor; Ramirez-Toloza, Galia; Farias, Ariel; Di Cataldo, Sophia; Lagos, Rocio; Millan, Javier
    The Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) is one of the most endangered carnivores worldwide, with the risk of disease spillover from domestic dogs being a major conservation threat. However, lack of epidemiologic information about generalist, non-dog-transmission-dependent protozoal and bacterial pathogens may be a barrier for disease prevention and management. To determine the exposure of some of these agents in Darwin's fox populations, 54 serum samples were collected from 47 Darwin's foxes in Southern Chile during 2013-18 and assessed for the presence of antibodies against Brucella abortus, Brucella canis, Coxiella burnetii, pathogenic Leptospira (serovars Grippotyphosa, Pomona, Canicola, Hardjo, and Copehageni), Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum. The highest seroprevalence was detected for T. gondii (78%), followed by pathogenic Leptospira (14%). All the studied Leptospira serovars were confirmed in at least one animal. Two foxes seroconverted to Leptospira and one to T. gondii during the study period. No seroconversions were observed for the other pathogens. No risk factors, either intrinsic (sex, age) or extrinsic (season, year, and degree of landscape anthropization), were associated with the probability of being exposed to T. gondii. Our results indicate that T. gondii exposure is widespread in the Darwin's fox population, including in areas with minimal anthropization, and that T. gondii and pathogenic Leptospira might be neglected threats to the species. Further studies identifying the causes of morbidity and mortality in Darwin's fox are needed to determine if these or other pathogens are having individual or population-wide effects in this species.
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    Widespread Infection with Hemotropic Mycoplasmas in Free-Ranging Dogs and Wild Foxes Across Six Bioclimatic Regions of Chile
    (MDPI, 2021) Di Cataldo, Sophia; Cevidanes, Aitor; Ulloa Contreras, Claudia; Sacristan, Irene; Penaloza Madrid, Diego; Vianna, Juliana; Gonzalez Acuna, Daniel; Sallaberry Pincheira, Nicole; Cabello, Javier; Napolitano, Constanza; Hidalgo Hermoso, Ezequiel; Acosta Jamett, Gerardo; Millan, Javier
    Blood samples of 626 rural dogs, 140 Andean foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus), and 83 South American grey foxes (L. griseus) from six bioregions of Chile spanning 3000 km were screened for Mycoplasma DNA by conventional PCR and sequencing. Risk factors of infection were inferred using Generalized Linear Mixed Models and genetic structure by network analyses. Overall, Mycoplasma haemocanis/Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhc/Mhf) and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum (CMhp) observed prevalence was 23.8% and 12.8% in dogs, 20.1% and 7.2% in Andean foxes, and 26.5% and 8.4% in grey foxes, respectively. Both hemoplasmas were confirmed in all the bioregions, with higher prevalence in those where ticks from the Rhipicephalus sanguineus species group were absent. Candidatus M. haematominutum and a Mycoplasma sp. previously found in South American carnivores were detected in one fox each. Although the most prevalent Mhc/Mhf and CMhp sequence types were shared between dogs and foxes, network analysis revealed genetic structure of Mhc/Mhf between hosts in some regions. Male sex was associated with a higher risk of Mhc/Mhf and CMhp infection in dogs, and adult age with CMhp infection, suggesting that direct transmission is relevant. No risk factor was identified in foxes. Our study provides novel information about canine hemoplasmas with relevance in distribution, transmission routes, and cross-species transmission.