Wildlife Animal User Training
2016
University of Montana
Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC)
Objectives

Ensuring safety
– Of you & your coworkers
– Of animals


Occupational
health program
Review of zoonotic
diseases of wildlife
Protecting Yourself

Situation awareness
– “Perception of environmental elements
within a volume of time and space, the
comprehension of their meaning, and the
projection of their status in the near future”
Endsley, M. R. (1995)
– “Knowing what is going on so you can
figure out what to do” Adam, E. C. (1993)
Situation Awareness

Necessary components
– Knowledge of environment, terrain & their
special concerns
– Anticipation of changing conditions
– Rapid collection & processing of new
information
– Training in how to respond appropriately
– Always staying alert & engaged
Special Environments

Desert/arid conditions
– Hyperthermia
– Dehydration

Winter/mountainous conditions
– Hypothermia
– Frostbite
– Avalanche
– Snow blindness
Lack of or Inadequate
Situation Awareness
One of the primary factors in accidents is
attributed to human error
Safety Training


Single most important component
of being prepared & staying safe
Training provided by principal
investigator (PI) may include
– Survival
– Injury prevention
– First aid
– Team communication
Common Field Injuries


Knee & ankle from
slips & falls
Stings & bites
– Known allergy?
carry MD-prescribed
epinephrine pen
(“epi pen”)

Muscle strain from lifting or falling
Common Field Injuries

Driving accidents can result in
serious injury or death
– Highway
– Off-road vehicles
ATVs, snow mobiles
 Proper training
required
 ALWAYS wear
a HELMET

Basic Personal Safety

Use appropriate
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
As necessary,
– Gloves
– Sturdy boots
– Eye protection
– Coveralls
– Mask or respirator
Basic Safety Principles




Sharps containers 
small sizes available for
field work
Good hygiene 
especially hands 
waterless hand sanitizer
(2 & 4.5 oz bottles)
Protect human food and
water
Communicate with your
team
In Case of Accident . . .



Seek medical attention as necessary
Work related?  tell medical provider
Worker’s comp claim
– Supervisor will have forms or find at
www.umt.edu/research/Eh/
workerscomp/accidentinvest1.docx

Accident reporting packet in glove box of
UM vehicles
Injury from Animals

Bites/scratches
– Clean & disinfect ASAP
– Consider aspirin, acetaminophen, or
ibuprofen for pain/inflammation
– Antibiotics from MD may be needed

Kicks/blunt trauma
– Large ruminants  blows to the
head, chest or abdomen can cause
internal injuries
– First aid, then medical attention
Early Reporting of Injury

Absolutely imperative to inform
– Direct Supervisor
– Principal Investigator
– Co-workers when in remote field areas


Any unusual symptoms  seek
medical help immediately
Best defense is a good offense 
Provide a complete history to assist
physicians
Keeping Animals Safe

Situation
Awareness

Knowledge

Training

Co-workers
Group training in blood collection
before going to the field
Danger to You?
Danger to Them

Weather danger
– Heat
 Overheating, dehydration
 Heat stress (including fish)  all magnified by
capture
 Trap/capture cool times of day & provide shade
 Provide moist food to prevent dehydration
 Cool packs for drugged animals
 Reduce stress  minimize shrill noises, cover
eyes, monitor for shock
Weather Danger
– Cold
 Hypothermia, slowed
metabolism & anesthetic
recovery




Warm packs for anesthetized
animals
Provide nest material for
warmth
Provide food for energy
Monitor body temperature &
vital signs
Euthanasia



IACUC requires each Animal Use Protocol
(AUP) to have a euthanasia contingency plan
for serious injury to animals
Serious injury – compound fractures, gaping
wounds to chest/abdomen, severe
unresponsive shock, head trauma – that
precludes survival in the wild
2013 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia
www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia.pdf
Occupational Health

Why?
– Mandatory for UM to
maintain animal
research program
accreditation

Why us?
– Everyone listed on an
AUP must and any one
else interested may
participate
Risk Assessment




IACUC sponsored occupational health
monitoring program to protect you
Risk assessment performed by
occupational health physician based on
information you provide
All medical information stored
confidentially at physician’s office
www.umt.edu/research/compliance/IACUC/ohs/
riskassessment.php
Review: Zoonotic Diseases



Zoonosis review is a requirement for
accreditation of UM animal research
program
Zoonosis = disease that can be transferred
from animals to humans,
www.umt.edu/research/compliance/IACUC/
vetguidelines/zoonoticDesease.php
Many of the diseases reviewed may be
transferred from tissues & body fluids of
dead or live animals
Rabies

Rhabdovirus

Fatal if no treatment
or vaccine protection

Infects all warmblooded mammals
(except birds)

Sylvatic rabies 
wildlife in life cycle
Photo credits - CDC
“Mad” Rabies
Rabies

“Dumb” rabies

Wildlife
– Lose fear of humans
– Unusually “friendly”
– Uncharacteristic
places
– Uncharacteristic
times of day
– Neurological signs
–
Photo credits - CDC
Rabid fox
Rabies

Wildlife
reservoirs in US
–
–
–
–
Raccoons (38%)
Skunks (30%)
Bats (17%)
Foxes (6%)
Silver-haired bat
Rabies Incidence in U.S.
1983-2012
CDC
Rabies Transmission





Animal bites (virus in saliva)
Contamination of broken skin
Aerosol in bat caves
Corneal, liver, kidney transplant
from infected donor
1-2 human cases/year in U.S.
most often bat-associated
Rabies
Clinical Signs

75% humans ill < 90 days
after bite wound

Nausea, vomiting,
headache

Tingling and pain on side of
body where bite located

Furious and paralytic forms

Cause of death usually
respiratory failure during
paralytic phase
CDC
Negri bodies – large pink
inclusions in cytoplasm of
brain cells – diagnose Rabies
Rabies Prevention

Avoid close contact with wild animals
exhibiting unusual behavior

Consider pre-exposure immunization if
work is high-risk

Report animal bites immediately: post-
exposure treatment should start
within 24 hours
Hantavirus




Hemorrhagic fever
with renal syndrome
(HFRS)
1993 - Hantavirus
pulmonary
syndrome (HPS)
Sin Nombre virus
Wildlife reservoir -
CDC
Peromyscus
maniculatus
CDC
Sin Nombre Incidence 2014
Sin Nombre Transmission





Aerosol of deer mouse urine or
feces
Contaminated hands  mucous
membranes
Contaminated food
Bite transmission rare
30-35% fatality rate
Sin Nombre
Clinical Signs


Incubation 9 to 33
days
High fever, malaise,
muscle or joint
aches, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea,
headaches,
respiratory distress,
cough
CDC
Early stage of disease
Middle stage of disease CDC
Sin Nombre Prevention

Personal protective equipment
– Gloves, coveralls, boots



Work upwind of animals
Work in the sun, if possible
Wear a respirator
– Fit-test through Environmental
Health & Risk Management
Plague

Yersinia pestis

Nonmotile, Gram –
rod

“Black Death”

3 forms (mortality):
– Bubonic
– Septicemic (5-50%)
– Pneumonic (20%)
CDC
Gangrene of fingers – a
complication of plague
Prairie Dog
Plague


> 200 species rodent
reservoirs: prairie
dogs, rats, marmots,
hares, chipmunks,
ground squirrels
Xenopsylla cheopis
rat flea – regurgitates
up to 20,000 plague
bacteria from
“blocked” gut
CDC
CDC
Plague in Animals




Pin-point
hemorrhage 
petechiae
Swollen lymph
nodes
Respiratory
disease
Photo credits - CDC
Plague Transmission




Bites of infected rodent fleas
Entry into breaks in skin when
handling infected rodents or
rabbits; wild carnivores that eat
infected prey
Domestic cats highly susceptible
– aerosol or handling
Dogs and cats can carry rat fleas
Plague
Clinical Signs



Illness 2-6 days
after infection
Swollen lymph
gland, fever, chills,
headache,
extreme
exhaustion
Photo credits - CDC
Plague Clinical Signs


Cough, bloody
sputum,
increased
heart rate,
shock, DIC
Gangrene of
fingers and
toes
CDC
1 month after finger amputation
for gangrene
Plague Prevention




Prevent flea infestation
Handle wild rodents with
appropriate PPE
Do not handle wild rodents with
petechial hemorrhages
Four Corners area of the US high
incidence
Tularemia





Francisella
tularensis
Aerobic, gram coccobacillus
> 10 organisms
1.4% fatality rate
Arthropods in life
cycle
CDC
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
“Brown dog tick”
Tularemia Transmission

Bites by infected arthropods
– Ticks

Handling infectious tissues

Contaminated food, water, soil

Inhalation of infective aerosols

No human to human transmission
Tularemia Clinical Signs


Fever, headache,
chills, body aches
(low back), nasal
discharge, sore
throat
Substernal pain,
cough, anorexia,
weight loss,
weakness
CDC
CDC
Tularemia Prevention



Personal
protective
equipment when
skinning hares or
rodents
Check for ticks
daily & remove
Use repellants if
possible
CDC
Wild hare – common culprit for
disease transmission to hunters
from bare-handed field skinning
West Nile Virus




Flavivirus
Horses &
humans 
encephalitis
Bird reservoirs:
corvids
Spread by
mosquitoes
CDC
CDC
Ochlerotatus japonicus
WNV Clinical Signs




Incubation 3-14 days
80% infected humans show no
symptoms
20% mild symptoms: fever,
headache, body aches, nausea,
rash
1 in 150 infected  severe
disease (e.g., stupor, coma,
convulsions, paralysis)
West Nile Virus in the U.S.
As of December 3, 2013
Legend
Positive Test Results
No Positive Test Results
Cumulative Total Entire Country: 2,318
West Nile Virus Prevention






Long-sleeved shirts and long pants,
when possible
Bug Tamer™ apparel (Shannon
Outdoors, Inc)
Mosquito repellant – DEET for skin
Avoid dusk to dawn hours outside
Avoid areas of standing water
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-155/
Q Fever





CDC
Coxiella burnetti
Sheep, goats,
cattle
1 organism can
cause disease
Placental tissues
Spread by
– Aerosol
– Hands
CDC
Q Fever Clinical Signs






50% infected get ill in 2-3 weeks
30-50% infected get pneumonia
Headache, malaise, muscle aches,
confusion, GI signs, weight loss,
hepatitis
1-2% fatality rate
Chronic infection  endocarditis
65% chronic cases end in death
LCM




Lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus
5% Mus musculus in
US; wild mice; pet
hamsters
Saliva, urine, feces of
infected rodents
Mucous membranes,
broken skin, bites
Hamster
Peromyscus sp.
LCM Clinical Signs





Humans showing illness  signs 8-13
days post-infection
Early: biphasic fever, malaise, muscle
aches, headache, nausea, vomiting
Later: headache, stiff neck, confusion,
neurological signs
Early pregnancy: abortion or fetal birth
defects
Fatality rate < 1%
HAVE A REWARDING
FIELD SEASON!