BAYLISASCARIS TRANSFUGA IN CAPTIVE AND FREE-RANGING POPULATIONS OF BEARS (FAMILY: URSIDAE) DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctoral of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jordan Carlton Schaul, M.S. ***** The Ohio State University 2006 Dissertation Committee: Teresa Y. Morishita, Advisor Approved by Yehia M. Saif Stan H. Gehrt Christopher J. Bonar __________________________________ Albert H. Lewandowski Advisor Graduate Program in Veterinary Preventive Medicine Copyright by Jordan Carlton Schaul 2006 ABSTRACT Baylisascaris transfuga, the bear roundworm is an ascaroid parasite that has been reported in all species of bears (giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Maylayan sun bears, Helarctos malayanus; sloth bears, Melursus ursinus; American black bears, Ursus americanus; brown bear, Ursus arctos; polar bears, Ursus maritimus; Asiatic black bear, Selenarctos thibetanus; and Andean bears, Tremarctos ornatus). This ubiquitous nematode of bears is particularly problematic for captive populations. Baylisascaris species have been implicated in clinical and subclinical disease in natural hosts including bears, as well as lethal larval migrans syndromes in a number of domestic species, alternative livestock, and captive and free ranging incidental hosts, including humans. Eradication or improved control measures for addressing contaminated bear enclosures will heighten biosecurity for this infectious pathogen and reduce the risk of potential public health threats associated with Baylisascaris species. Impediments to control efforts include ineffective sanitation and disinfection of contaminated and re- contaminated exhibits, and concerns regarding the development of parasite resistance in helminth parasites of bears treated routinely with anti-helminthic pharmacological agents. The development of naturalistic exhibits and environmental enrichment programs in zoos and other captive wildlife facilities, enhances the educational mission of zoos and captive wildlife display facilities, but impedes husbandry practices and preventive medicine ii programs aimed at prevention, control and eradication of infectious pathogens in captive enclosures. The first objective of this study was to obtain information on husbandry and preventive health programs from captive bear-holding facilities for evaluating factors which influence parasite contamination, persistence, and transmission among individual bears, bears species, other collection animals and people. The second objective was to obtain data on coprodiagnostic tests used by institutions to detect parasite ova prevalence in captive collections and conduct baseline studies of current roundworm prevalence and intensity levels in bear holding collections. For this second objective, two coprodiagnostic techniques were employed to compare sensitivities of tests typically employed by captive facilities and more sophisticated tests known to yield higher recoveries of parasite ova. A final objective was to compare the prevalence and intensity levels of roundworms among wild populations of bears and between captive and free- ranging populations. iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my father Samuel William Schaul, my mother, the late Dana Monus Schaul, my sister Samantha Schaul Kaplan, my brother Andrew Schaul, and my aunt, Judith Schaul Neuger. Without my family’s love, unyielding support, and commitment to me, this dissertation would not have been possible. My parents have encouraged me to pursue my dreams and their support exceeds comprehension. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Teresa Morishita for her unwavering confidence in me, for her encouragement to take risks, pursue a passion and embrace intellectual curiosities beyond the bounds of scholastic convention. Her patience, compassion and guidance were a source of much inspiration for me. Words can not express the appreciation and respect I have developed for my major advisor, a great scholar, progressive teacher and mentor and supportive confidant. I wish to thank Dr. Yehia Saif for his confidence, support and encouragement both with respect to serving on my dissertation committee and for his concern for my professional interests in veterinary medicine and infectious disease research at-large. As a world renowned scholar and a person of great class and character, he will forever remain an inspiration to me. I wish to thank Dr. Stan Gehrt for his willingness to serve on my committee. As a widely respected and highly acclaimed scholar in the field of carnivore disease ecology, he provided perspective, great insight and a profound understanding of the contributions wildlife disease research brings to the field of conservation medicine and wildlife disease ecology. His scholastic integrity and devotion to students, and keen appreciation for the science as an application and process were invaluable. v I wish to thank Dr. Chris Bonar for his continued friendship and mentorship for more than a decade. Dr. Bonar’s acumen for zoological medicine and pragmatic perspective regarding the application of health science research to the evolving field of zoo preventive medicine were invaluable. His willingness to guide me on intellectual pursuits and commitment to this type of research instilled a sense of purpose and validation for my interests. I wish to thank Dr. Albert Lewandowski for his continued friendship and mentorship for more than a decade. His vast experience in zoo animal husbandry, zoo animal clinical medicine, preventive medicine, wildlife biology and peripheral facets of zoo animal management have given me much perspective on the much needed applied veterinary health research in zoos. He has offered me great insight into animal health and welfare issues facing captive wildlife facilities, and as with Dr. Bonar I remained indebted to his mentorship over the years. I wish to thank Don Kuenzer for his continued friendship and mentorship for more than a decade. His forty plus year career in zoo animal management and standing service to the AZA Bear TAG steering Committee, was most significant in bringing this project to fruition. His confidence in me and persistent support of my professional and scholastic endeavors over the years, have helped me achieve so much and I am forever grateful to him for sharing so much knowledge and his unyielding support. vi I wish to thank the AZA Bear Tag and particularly Vice-Chair & Education Liaison, Lisa Tryon for her support and encouragement. She too, has been an invaluable resource and friend. She has not only been a supporter, but a collaborator on other projects and well as a financial supporter of the Bear Conservation Medicine program through the Beardsley Zoo Conservation Fund. Similar to Don, she has been an advocate and ambassador for the bear conservation medicine’s program to the global zoo community. I would also like to thank Rick Prebeg and Jack Hanna of the Columbus zoo for endorsing this project. Jack Hanna was my childhood idol and a great role model for me as a young zoo professional. I wish to thank Chris & Ken Day for permitting me to explore Alaska’s wild frontier and conduct research on wild bears and the natural heritage of this pristine world where wildlife is largely preserved, as nowhere else in North America. As friends naturalists they shared much knowledge that can not be found in literary works, but only through years of experience living among bears. I wish to thank Sally Walker of the Zoo Outreach Organization, Dr. Harry Reynolds of the International Association for Bear Research & Management, Dr. Gale Ford, and countless other zoo professionals and wildlife biologists for their support and encouragement. I would like to thank 123 participating zoos and captive wildlife facilities for their wiliness to take part in this study. A great number of docents, zoo vii keepers, curators and veterinarians from all of these institutions have been immensely helpful. They have all been so patient and helpful and I can’t thank them enough. Finally, I wish to thank all of the staff and students in the Laboratory for Wildlife Disease & Environmental Health, the Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory and other OSU faculty and staff. I would especially like to thank Dr. Cliff Monahan, Cathy Bremer, Dr. Amna El Tayeb, Dr. Taradon Luangtongkum, Elizabeth Gangrich, Aaron Ison, Peter Kobalka, Irene Choi, Rachel Klimkowicz, Sarah McCready, Andre Schaub, Jennifer Zimov, Jennifer Duerr, Natasha Davenport, Danielle Hulit as well as Sunny Davis of OSU ULAR for their tremendous amount of time and effort in helping me with this study. Without their help, this dissertation would not have been made possible. viii VITA November 7, 1973……………………Born – Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA 1992 -1996……………………………Bachelor of Arts, Biology- Psychology Departments of Biology & Psychology, Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York, USA 1996 – 2001 ………………………….Masters of Science, Biology Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights, Ohio, USA 2001-2002…………………………... Doctoral Student, Ecology and Physiology Department of Zoology Miami University Oxford, Ohio, USA 2002-present ……………………… Graduate Student, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA 2004-2005.…….……………………..Professional Student College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA 2006- present……………………… Professional Student College of Veterinary Medicine Western University