Landscape genetics of raccoons (Procyon lotor) associated with ridges and valleys of Pennsylvania: implications for oral rabies vaccination programs
Autor: | Antoinette J. Piaggio, Robert B. Puskas, Melissa A. Neubaum, J. Jeffrey Root, Serena A. Reeder, Justin W. Fischer, Craig B. Swope |
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Rok vydání: | 2009 |
Předmět: |
Veterinary medicine
Genotype Population Population Dynamics Zoology Administration Oral Biology medicine.disease_cause Microbiology Rabies vaccination Gene flow Virology parasitic diseases medicine Animals education DNA Primers Disease Reservoirs geography education.field_of_study Panmixia geography.geographical_feature_category Geography Models Genetic Rabies virus Pennsylvania medicine.disease Markov Chains Infectious Diseases Genetics Population Rabies Vaccines Ridge Genetic structure Rabies Raccoons |
Zdroj: | Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.). 9(6) |
ISSN: | 1557-7759 |
Popis: | Raccoons are the reservoir for the raccoon rabies virus variant in the United States. To combat this threat, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) programs are conducted in many eastern states. To aid in these efforts, the genetic structure of raccoons (Procyon lotor) was assessed in southwestern Pennsylvania to determine if select geographic features (i.e., ridges and valleys) serve as corridors or hindrances to raccoon gene flow (e.g., movement) and, therefore, rabies virus trafficking in this physiographic region. Raccoon DNA samples (n = 185) were collected from one ridge site and two adjacent valleys in southwestern Pennsylvania (Westmoreland, Cambria, Fayette, and Somerset counties). Raccoon genetic structure within and among these study sites was characterized at nine microsatellite loci. Results indicated that there was little population subdivision among any sites sampled. Furthermore, analyses using a model-based clustering approach indicated one essentially panmictic population was present among all the raccoons sampled over a reasonably broad geographic area (e.g., sites up to 36 km apart). However, a signature of isolation by distance was detected, suggesting that widths of ORV zones are critical for success. Combined, these data indicate that geographic features within this landscape influence raccoon gene flow only to a limited extent, suggesting that ridges of this physiographic system will not provide substantial long-term natural barriers to rabies virus trafficking. These results may be of value for future ORV efforts in Pennsylvania and other eastern states with similar landscapes. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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