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18 summaries matching “puma” in Disease & Epidemiology
A virus reveals population structure and recent demographic history of its carnivore host
PaperThis influential study used feline immunodeficiency virus as a fast-evolving genetic marker to reconstruct the population history of its puma hosts in the American West. Because the virus mutates far…
R. Biek, A. J. Drummond, M. Poss · Science · 2006
Epidemiology, genetic diversity, and evolution of endemic feline immunodeficiency virus in a population of wild cougars
PaperFocusing on a well-studied cougar population, this study characterized the prevalence, genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of endemic feline immunodeficiency virus in wild pumas. By sampling i…
R. Biek, T. K. Ruth, K. M. Murphy, et al. · Journal of Virology · 2003
Epizootiology and management of feline leukemia virus in the Florida puma
PaperThis study described a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) outbreak in the endangered Florida panther, a small, inbred puma population. Through surveillance testing, the authors detected progressive FeLV inf…
M. W. Cunningham, M. A. Brown, D. B. Shindle, et al. · Journal of Wildlife Diseases · 2008
Research overview: SARS-CoV-2 spillback to captive big cats in zoos worldwide
OverviewFollowing the Bronx Zoo tigers, SARS-CoV-2 infections were confirmed in big cats at zoos and sanctuaries across multiple countries, including additional tigers, lions, snow leopards, pumas and others.…
Research overview: Toxoplasma seroprevalence across wild felid populations worldwide
OverviewSerosurveys consistently reveal high Toxoplasma exposure in wild felids, reflecting their role as both definitive hosts and predators of infected prey. This overview synthesizes prevalence patterns ac…
Research overview: Yersinia pestis plague exposure in mountain lions
OverviewSylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, circulates among rodents in the American West, and mountain lions become exposed by preying on infected rodents and lagomorphs. This overview…
Research overview: aggression-driven transmission of feline immunodeficiency virus in wild cats
OverviewUnlike many viruses spread by casual contact, feline immunodeficiency virus is transmitted chiefly through biting during fights, tying its epidemiology to felid social behavior. This overview surveys…
Research overview: atypical Toxoplasma strains in sea otters and the wild felid connection
OverviewSome Toxoplasma infections in southern sea otters involve unusual atypical genotypes, including a so-called Type X strain rarely seen in domestic cats. This overview surveys research suggesting that w…
Research overview: comparative pathogenicity of feline immunodeficiency virus across felid species
OverviewFeline immunodeficiency virus causes an AIDS-like syndrome in domestic cats yet has long been assumed benign in its wild hosts. This overview examines the evidence for and against that assumption, com…
Research overview: feline immunodeficiency virus as a tracer of puma dispersal and connectivity
OverviewBecause feline immunodeficiency virus evolves rapidly and is transmitted through fighting, its genetic signal can reveal how pumas move across fragmented landscapes. This overview surveys studies that…
Research overview: genetic rescue and disease resilience in the Florida panther
OverviewThe Florida panther’s recovery hinged on a landmark genetic restoration that introduced Texas pumas to relieve severe inbreeding, with implications for disease resilience. This overview surveys how th…
Research overview: hemotropic mycoplasmas and feline infectious anemia in wild cats
OverviewHemotropic mycoplasmas, formerly called Haemobartonella, attach to red blood cells and can cause infectious anemia in felids, with wild cats carrying these bacteria across many populations. This overv…
Research overview: metagenomic virus discovery in wild felids
OverviewHigh-throughput sequencing has opened a new era of virus discovery, allowing researchers to catalog the viromes of wild felids without prior knowledge of which pathogens to seek. This overview surveys…
Research overview: serosurveys as a window on pathogen exposure in wild carnivores
OverviewSerological surveys, which detect antibodies as evidence of past or present infection, are a workhorse of wildlife disease epidemiology. This overview surveys how serosurveys reveal pathogen exposure…
Research overview: sylvatic Toxoplasma cycles maintained by bobcats and pumas
OverviewBeyond domestic cats, wild felids such as bobcats and pumas sustain natural sylvatic cycles of Toxoplasma, shedding oocysts that infect wild prey and contribute to environmental contamination. This ov…
Seroprevalence and genomic divergence of circulating strains of feline immunodeficiency virus among Felidae and Hyaenidae species
PaperThis comprehensive study screened thousands of samples from many felid species plus hyenas for feline immunodeficiency virus and sequenced isolates to map viral diversity. The authors confirmed that F…
J. L. Troyer, J. Pecon-Slattery, M. E. Roelke, et al. · Journal of Virology · 2005
The consequences of demographic reduction and genetic depletion in the endangered Florida panther
PaperThis study characterized the health and genetic status of the Florida panther, a tiny, isolated puma population reduced to a few dozen animals. The authors documented inbreeding-associated problems in…
M. E. Roelke, J. S. Martenson, S. J. O’Brien · Current Biology · 1993
Worldwide prevalence of lentivirus infection in wild feline species: epidemiologic and phylogenetic aspects
PaperThis broad serosurvey screened many nondomestic felid species across the world for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus-like lentiviruses. The authors found widespread seroprevalence in free-ra…
J. D. Olmsted, A. Barr, R. A. Hess, et al. · Journal of Virology · 1992