1/21. Risk to tourists posed by wild mammals in south africa.BACKGROUND: One of south africa's principal tourist attractions is the opportunity to encounter Africa's large mammals in the wild. Attacks by these mammals can be exceptionally newsworthy with potentially deleterious effects on tourism. Little is known about the risk of injury and death caused by wild mammals to visitors to south africa's nature reserves. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fatal and nonfatal attacks on tourists by wild mammals in south africa and to ascertain avoidable factors, if any. methods: Commercial press records covering all South African newspapers archived at the Independent newspapers' central library were systematically reviewed for a 10-year period, January 1988 to December 1997 inclusive, to identify all deaths and injuries to domestic and international tourists resulting from encounters with wild mammals in south africa. All of these incidents were analyzed to ascertain avoidable factors. RESULTS: During the review period seven tourists, including two students from thailand and a German traveler, were killed by wild mammals in south africa. Three of the four deaths ascribed to lions resulted from tourists carelessly approaching prides on foot in lion reserves. A judicial inquiry found that the management of a KwaZulu-Natal Reserve was culpable for the remaining death. Tourist ignorance of animal behavior and flagrant disregard of rules contributed to the two fatalities involving hippopotami. The unusual behavior manifested by the bull elephant responsible for the final death, resulted from discomfort caused by a dental problem to this pachyderm. During the same period there were 14 nonfatal attacks on tourists, including five by hippo, three by buffalo, two by rhino, and one each by a lion, leopard, zebra and musth elephant. Only the latter occurred while the visitor was in a motor vehicle. Tourist ethological naivete and failure to determine the experience of trail guides prior to travel, resulted in inadvertent agonistic behavior, unnecessary risk-taking and avoidable injury. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study has shown that attacks on tourists by wild mammals in south africa are an uncommon cause of injury and death. Sensible precautions to minimize this risk include remaining in a secure motor vehicle or adequately fenced precincts while in the vicinity of large mammals, rigidly observing nature reserve instructions, never approaching animals that appear ill, malnourished, displaying aggressive behavior traits or female wild mammals with young, and demanding adequately trained and experienced game rangers when embarking on walking trails. Any behavior that might be construed as antagonistic and which could provoke an attack by large mammals should be avoided (e.g., driving directly at a lion). Visitors need to be informed of classic signs of aggression, in particular in elephants, which will allow timely avoidance measures to be taken. The risk-enhancing effect of excessive alcohol intake is undesirable in the game reserve setting, as is driving at high speed after dusk in areas where hippos graze. Local advice on personal safety in wildlife reserves and the credentials of trail guides should be obtained from lodge or reserve management, tourism authorities or the travel industry prior to travel to game reserves.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/21. Seroepidemiology of bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii infection in california coyotes, 1994-1998.The prevalence of antibodies to bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in coyotes (Canis latrans) in california ranged from 51% in central to 34% in southern and 7% in northern california. Seropositive coyotes were more likely to be from coastal than inland counties (p clustered distribution of bartonella seropositivity in coyotes suggests that B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii infection is vectorborne. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate which arthropods are vectors and what the mode of transmission is from wildlife to domestic dogs and possibly humans.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/21. Persian leopard (panthera pardus) attack in oklahoma: case report.The authors report a fatal case of a Persian leopard (panthera pardus) attack in an animal sanctuary in oklahoma. The victim was a 53-year-old Costa Rican woman who was attempting to feed the animal when she was attacked and killed. autopsy, radiography, fingerprint analysis, microbiologic cultures, and dental impressions were used to evaluate the case. These simple techniques can be applied to similar cases involving wild and domestic animal attacks.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/21. Tula virus infection associated with fever and exanthema after a wild rodent bite.Reported here is the first case of human acute infection with Tula virus, which occurred in a 12-year-old boy in switzerland. This hantavirus had been considered apathogenic to humans, and in switzerland only TULV-genome sequences have been demonstrated in wild rodents to date. In this case, paronychia, fever and exanthema occurred after the patient was bitten by a wild rodent, indicating an unusual route of hantavirus transmission. Thus, Tula virus infection should be taken into account in patients with appropriate clinical symptoms and contact with rodents.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/21. Rabies encephalitis following fox bite--histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of lesions caused by virus.Rabies caused by fox bite is uncommon, most cases being caused by bite of rabid dogs (95%). We report a 45-year-old lady with rabies encephalomyelitis caused by bite of a rabid wild fox (Vulpes vulpes), a species prevalent in the Deccan plateaus of Central india. Though foxes are known to be susceptible to rabies, literature on the pathological changes caused by fox bite rabies in humans is scarce. Unlike the mild histological alterations described in canine rabies, a florid encephalitic process evolved in fox bite rabies, in our case, with intense microglial reaction, neuronophagia and perivascular inflammatory infiltrates despite clinical manifestation as a paralytic rabies. Immunostaining using polyclonal antibodies to the rabies viral nucleocapsid antigen and to the whole virion demonstrated high viral load within neurons with extensive spread along dendritic arborization and axonal tracts. Genomic sequence analysis demonstrated close homology with canine virus strain with only minor variations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/21. rabies virus infection in a pet guinea pig and seven pet rabbits.Raccoon-variant rabies was confirmed in 7 pet rabbits and 1 pet guinea pig in new york State, and postexposure treatment was required in several adults and children. To prevent rabies virus infection, domestic rabbits and pet rodents should be protected from contact with wild animals, including double-cage housing when housed outside. Pet rabbits or rodents with any possible contact with a wild animal, particularly if the rabbit or rodent had wounds of unknown origin, should be quarantined for 6 months for observation, to prevent escape, and to avoid contact with humans, who will require treatment if the rabbit or rodent develops rabies. Bites and scratches to humans from rodents and lagomorphs should be evaluated for potential rabies exposure on an individual basis, with consideration of whether the animal was caged outside or permitted outdoors unsupervised.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16666666666667keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/21. Evaluation of cases admitted to a center in Istanbul, turkey in 2003 for rabies vaccination and three rabies cases followed up in the last 15 years.We evaluated the cases of 7,266 individuals who applied to our hospital's Center for Rabies vaccination between January and December 2003. Among 1,831 female and 5,435 male cases, 37% were given 3 doses of vaccination, 14% were given 5 doses, and in 24% of cases a 2-1-1 vaccination schedule was applied. Antirabies serum of horse origin was given in 179 cases. Regarding the wounds, 83% were superficial and 17% were deep. Most of the cases involved dog bites (74%). Of the dogs involved, 30% were pets (with owners). Only a few (6%) of those pets had been vaccinated. Of the 2 dogs investigated for rabies in Pendik Veterinarian research Institute, none were found to harbor the disease. In the last 15 years, 3 cases were followed up with a diagnosis of human rabies in our clinic. Domestic animals (without owners, living a somewhat wild life in cities) are still the cause of many rabies cases. As rabies carries a very high fatality risk, public health precautions and education are important as well as post-exposure prophylaxis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/21. sporotrichosis following a rodent bite. A case report.A ten year old boy developed lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis following a wild rodent bite. The infection was successfully treated with potassium iodide. sporotrichosis in humans has followed bites, pecks and stings inflicted by a variety of animals, birds and insects. Many species of animals are susceptible to infection by sporothrix schenkii, but transmission from infected animals to man is uncommon.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/21. Fatal big cat attacks.Two cases of fatal attacks by large cats are presented. In the first case, a 30-year-old female zoo worker was attacked by a jaguar that had escaped its cage. In the second case, a 2-year-old girl was fatally injured by her father's pet leopard. The pattern of injuries in these cases is nearly identical to those of these cats' prey in the wild.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/21. Seal finger in a wildlife ranger.We describe a case of septic arthritis of the interphalangeal joint of the thumb in a man following a seal bite. Early and continued treatment with antibiotics of the penicillin family failed to control the infection. Empirical treatment with tetracycline resolved the infection, but the patient has permanent joint damage. In apparently ordinary infective conditions, which fail to respond to therapy, the history may suggest that an unusual organism is responsible.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = wild (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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