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Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: Kelsey L. Turner, University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Guha Dharmarajan, University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Lab; James C. Beasley, University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Amy T. Gilbert, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services; Richard B. Chipman, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services; Olin E. Rhodes Jr., University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Lab
ABSTRACT: Aerial dissemination of oral rabies vaccinations is used to prevent the spread of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies variant in the eastern U.S. However, little is known about competition for vaccine-baits by non-target species, such as the Virginia opossum (Didelphus virginianus) in the southeastern U.S. Our study aimed to estimate densities of raccoons and opossums across 4 habitat types common in the southeastern U.S. (riparian hardwood, isolated wetland, bottomland forest, upland pine) and to quantify uptake of rabies vaccine-baits within those habitats by both raccoons and opossums. We estimated densities of raccoons and opossums via mark-recapture (MRC) methods from January to April 2017 in 6, 0.25-sq.km grids of each target habitat type on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. At each site we deployed 25 live-capture box traps spaced 100-m apart for a 10 day period to estimate site-specific densities. After which, we manually distributed placebo baits containing the biomarker Rhodamine B (RB) at 75 baits/sq.km to mimic standard USDA aerial distribution protocols. We retrapped sites for raccoons and opossums 2 weeks subsequent to bait deployments and collected and analyzed whiskers for the presence of RB to assess bait uptake. We estimated species-specific densities using a spatially explicit model, assessing differences by habitat type, while bait competition was analyzed as a function of species and habitat type. Understanding the influence of vaccine competition across various habitat types is imperative in determining the allocation of resources to successfully manage the raccoon variant of rabies in the southeastern U.S.
Tuesday October 31, 2017 9:40am - 10:00am EDT
Carroll Ford