Mustelids pathology and management in wildlife rescue centres

• Main Author: Bortot, Aurore
• Other Authors: École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Faculté de médecine (UPEC Médecine), Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12), Pascal Arné
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: Mustelid; Ferret; Pathology; Rescue centre; Wildlife; Zoonosis; Biosafety; Médecine vétérinaire; Mustelidé; Furet; Pathologie; Centre de soins; Faune sauvage; Zoonose; Biosécurité; Europe; [SDV.BA.MVSA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health; Antarc*; Antarctica; Antarctique*
• Online Access: https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-04032153; https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-04032153/document; https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-04032153/file/A-2023-010.pdf

Mustelids represent the largest family within the Carnivora order. They are mostly small to medium size species with a slender body and short extremities. They occur worldwide, except in Australia and Antarctica. The few data known about their diseases are generally limited to selected infections having a health impact, such as bovine tuberculosis in the Eurasian badger, rabies in several species or canine distemper which has caused a severe population decline in black footed ferrets, from now on endangered species. Aleutian disease, and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic, have been studied mostly in farmed American minks, and should be in the European mink as well, especially threatened (LPO, 2022). Furthermore, it seems that traumatic causes (notably traffic accidents) and infectious diseases prevail within morbidity and mortality causes of wild mustelids. Strict respect of good personal hygiene practices and biosafety rules in rescue centres which receive in distress mustelids safeguards a decrease of the bite risk and zoonotic transmission between humans and animals, even if no particular protocol is applied for their management. Last but not least, while some species are prolific and are considered as pests or potential pests because of the physical damage they cause to human property or because of their presumed role as pathogens reserve, others are experiencing population declines or are even listed as endangered species, like the European mink. That’s why it is crucial to ensure a health surveillance in wildlife so as to protect them and in the context of the “One Health” concept. Les mustélidés représentent la plus grande famille au sein des carnivores. Ils sont majoritairement de taille petite à modérée avec un corps allongé et de courtes extrémités. Ces animaux sont présents dans le monde entier, sauf en Australie et en Antarctique. Les quelques données disponibles sur leurs affections sont en général limitées aux infections ayant un impact sanitaire, comme la tuberculose bovine chez le blaireau ...