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AUTHORS: Amanda Kamps, USDA-APHIS; Shelli Dubay, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Christopher N. Jacques, Western Illinois University; Cady Sartini, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
ABSTRACT: Generalist species, such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), are able to adapt to urban environments, but how urbanization influences exposure of raccoons to parvoviruses is unknown. Our objective was to identify potental effects of land cover (i.e., percent grassland, wetland, forest, agriculture, housing units) and intrinsic (i.e., age, sex) variables on exposure of urban racccon populations to parvovirus. From 2008-2010, we sampled trapper-harvested raccoons near Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin for antibody against canine parvovirus (CPV). Harvest locations for adult raccoons were entered into ArcMap 9.3 and buffered by a 0.81-km radius to represent a circular approximation of a home range for each raccoon. Housing units were obtained from the 2000 US Census and land cover variables were obtained from the USGS 2001 National Landcover Database. Overall, 60% (n = 164) of raccoons were exposed to parvovirus. The highest-ranked model for predicting expsoure of raccoons to parvovirus was age + housing units + grassland + agriculture + forest + wetland. Support for this model was substantial (wi = 1.00) and prediction capability was acceptable (ROC = 0.75); all other models were noncompetitive (wi < 0.001). Adult raccoons with more forested habitat and fewer housing units within buffered home ranges were more likely exposed to parvoviruses than juveniles, potentially because parvovirus is fatal to young animals or because these individuals may not have been exposed to the virus. Parvovirus may remain viable for longer periods of time in forested environments compared with urban areas characterized by warmer temperatures and more direct sunlight.
