Monitoring_Lynx-lynx-carpathicus

4. Posudzovanie zdravotného stavu a genetika / Health screening and genetics________________________________________________________________________________________Health surveillance in Eurasian lynx: background and definitions,an example from Switzerland and recommendations for SlovakiaMARIE-PIERRE RYSER-DEGIORGISCentre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Str. 122, Postfach 8466,CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland; marie-pierre.ryser@vetsuisse.unibe.chHealth is defined as the ability of an organism toadapt and self-manage. In other words, a healthyorganism or population is capable of maintainingan “equilibrium” through changing circumstances.Many organisms (so-called “parasites”, e.g. virus,bacteria) have the potential to cause disease but infact disease is less a property of the parasite itselfthan a function of the host (animal), the parasiteand their interaction in a given environment.Environmental changes (including habitatfragmentation) can lead to isolation andsubsequently to a loss of genetic variability in theaffected animal hosts. In parallel, humanencroachment into wild habitats causes increasedinteractions between wildlife, humans anddomestic animals. Additionally, travel, trade andanimal translocations for conservation purposesare an important cause of movement of infectiousagents (so-called pathogens) with the potential tocause disease. These interactions and pathogenmovements may result in the exposure of naivepopulations to new pathogens, with potentiallydisastrous consequences. Populations with adecreased genetic variability may be more at riskof extinction if susceptible to a newly introducedpathogen. Furthermore, changing environmentsare the cause of stress, which in turn induceshigher susceptibility to disease.Disease is recognized as a growing threat tospecies conservation and biodiversity in general(Munson et al. 2010), and the need for healthsurveillance in wildlife has been increasinglyrecognized (Ryser-Degiorgis 2013). In the frame ofwildlife translocations, in particular, knowledge isrequired on population health (Is the selectedpopulation appropriate as a source population?)and on individual health (Is the captured individualappropriate for reintroduction or restocking?). Onthe one hand, translocated individuals need to becharacterized by a high survival for the programmeto be successful; on the other hand, theirtranslocation has to be associated with a low riskof translocating pathogens, which may represent arisk for wildlife, domestic animals and humans atthe release site (Ryser-Degiorgis 2009a).Surveillance means “information for action”.More specifically, health surveillance is the ongoingrecording of health parameters in wildlifepopulations with a view to management. Itincludes detection of disease (or diseasedeterminants, e.g. pathogens or pollutant),information management (to record, store andanalyse data) and the use of surveillanceinformation (communication of important resultsto managers).In Switzerland health surveillance in Eurasianlynx has been carried out for several decades. Theprogramme currently in place includes the clinicalexamination of live lynx (orphans and olderanimals captured for management purposes;Fig. 1) and the pathological examination of all lynxfound dead, including traffic accidents (Fig. 2).Morphological data, pictures of the coat patternand samples such as blood and faeces are collectedfrom both live and dead animals. Samples aresubsequently analysed and/or archived.Additionally, numerous tissue samples arecollected from dead animals and the pelt andskeleton are kept for museum collections. In liveanimals, anaesthesia records are also kept.________________________________________________________________________________________Monitoring Lynx lynx carpathicus, Rigg & Kubala (2015) 65