Identifying a hunter responsible for killing a hunting dog by individual-specific genetic profiling of wild boar DNA transferred to the canine during the accidental shooting

While genetic profiling can be a powerful tool to solve wildlife crime, comparably few examples of individual identification in wildlife forensics are available in the literature. Here, we report a case of an accidental shooting of a hunting dog during a wild boar drive hunt. The market value of trained hunting dogs can reach several thousand euro. No one admitted to killing the dog. Wild boar hairs were found in the dog’s wound, suggesting that the bullet first hit a wild boar and then the dog. Since it was known who harvested each boar, we aimed to use individual-specific genetic profiles to link these hairs to a bagged animal and to identify the culprit. We genotyped 19 harvested boar and the unknown hair sample using 13 STRs. In the case of the hair sample, we performed multiple genotyping to ensure the reliability of the genetic profile. We showed that we genotyped sufficient loci to distinguish between separate individuals with certainty. While the three most informative loci were enough to differentiate the 19 reference individuals, we did find a perfect match at all 13 STRs between the hair DNA and one tissue sample. Since our methods were reliable and reproducible, we passed the relevant information on to forestry officials who will use the information we have provided to attempt to find an amicable solution.     

Selenium and mercury in the hair of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and European wildcats (Felis s. silvestris) from Germany and Luxembourg

Ecotoxicology - This study examined the concentration of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se), as well as the molar ratio of Se:THg in hair samples of terrestrial animals. THg and Se...     

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in invasive raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Central Europe

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in warm-blooded animals. Most mammals, including humans, can become intermediate host, resulting in subclinical infection or even death. Generally, there is limited information on the epidemiology of T. gondii of game species in Germany. As omnivores, raccoons, which are particularly widespread and abundant in Germany, are particularly exposed to infection the parasite. Here, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies from 15 study sites located in Luxembourg and Germany. Using the indirect modified agglutination test (MAT), 170 (37.4%; 95% CI: 33.0–41.9) out of 454 raccoons were surveyed to be T. gondii seropositive. While values ranged from 19.0% to 53.3%, there was no significant difference in seroprevalence between study areas. Animal weight had a strong influence on the presence of T. gondii antibodies in raccoon sera, with heavier animals more likely to be seropositive. Our results show that T. gondii infection is widespread in central European raccoons, suggesting a high degree of ecosystem circulation of the parasite.

     

C-reactive-protein and cytokine plasma levels in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND: Markers of an acute phase reaction, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) or interleukin-6 (IL-6), are predictive for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in normal subjects and in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Le-vels of acute phase proteins (APP) may vary with time even in the absence of an acute illness and this may weaken the relationship between APP and clinical outcome. We investigated the intra- and inter-individual patterns of several inflammatory markers in HD patients. METHODS: Plasma levels of CRP, IL-10, RANTES, TNF-RI, leptin, ferritin and albumin were measured weekly for 12 weeks after the long inter-dialytic interval by ELISA in ten stable HD patients with no clinical signs of infection. RESULTS: Considerable variability was observed. Intra-individual differences were largest for RANTES (coefficient of variation - CV - 80%, followed by CRP (51%), and low for albumin (11%) and ferritin (12%). Inter-individual variability was highest for IL-10 (135%) followed by CRP (88%). CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest that single point measurements of APP, particularly CRP, may not be sufficient to assess the cardiovascular risk in HD patients. Even in patients with no apparent signs of infection, there is considerable variability in plasma levels of APP and repeated measurements are recommended to identify patients at high cardiovascular risk.