AUTHORS: Yonah Bennett, University of Central Missouri; Dr. Nick Barts, University of Central Missouri
ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic change casts a heavy shadow on the environment, and the urbanization of natural habitats can increase both the spread of zoonotic diseases and the range of its reservoirs. One such reservoir is the raccoon (Procyon lotor), a synanthrope and common carrier of many zoonotic diseases important to human health (Baylisascaris procyonis, Leptospira interrogans, and Giardiaduodenalis). As warmer temperatures and human-driven introductions push raccoons and other wildlife into new environments, humans face an increasing number of zoonotic diseases. The wildlife, in turn, faces density increases, poor body condition, and diet changes. These changes are a global concern, and current studies are driven by the One-Health framework, ensuring the human, wildlife, and environmental aspects of these focal diseases are examined together. Following the One-Health framework allows us to make informed decisions for wildlife management strategies. This project aims to inform such management by conducting disease and diet surveys of raccoons across St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri along urban-rural transects using latrines to collect feces, soil, and hair samples. Prior studies of B. procyonis prevalence along urban gradients have had mixed findings. Gradients created using a specified variable like building density may better describe the impact of urbanization on it and other zoonotic diseases. Disease prevalence and load will be determined by surveying for B. procyonis in fecal floats and Giardia and Leptospira in qPCR. Diet assessments to correlate raccoon reliance on anthropogenic foods will be done by determining the stable isotopes in collected hair. Reliance on anthropogenic foods may mean a change in predation on intermediate disease hosts and disease prevalence within raccoons. Overall results may highlight how raccoons' synanthropic nature impacts humans and the environment.
