Nájera F, Uiterwaal S, Garcelon DK, Randolph JF, V. Impacts of infectious diseases on movement metrics in a large carnivore: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, leptospirosis, and pumas. iScience. 2025 Oct 17;28(11):113810
Understanding how behavior and movement are affected during the clinical stages of infectious disease in hosts provides stronger insight into activity patterns. We identified changes in movement and behavioral metrics in seven satellite-collared pumas (Puma concolor couguar) that succumbed to Leptospira or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). We used GPS data from pumas in California and Washington to estimate disease onset dates and investigated movement and behavioral (kill site, bed site, and slow local movement) changes before and after onset. Six pumas exhibited changes in movement metrics, along with longer bouts of those behaviors. For the seventh, consistently low movement precluded comparisons to normal behavior. Based on the onset dates, HPAI infection resulted in a more acute death than Leptospira infection. Our results highlight the potential of movement and behavioral metrics to study infectious disease effects on pumas and other carnivores, contributing to epidemiological and clinical features of these diseases in carnivores.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Modeling Airborne Influenza in Three Dimensions 2 days ago
- Increased contact transmission of contemporary Human H5N1 compared to Bovine and Mountain Lion H5N1 in a hamster model 2 days ago
- Immunity to hemagglutinin and neuraminidase results in additive reductions in airborne transmission of influenza H1N1 virus in ferrets 2 days ago
- A modelling exploration of potential spatiotemporal risk of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus introduction to Danish dairy herds through the contaminated environment 2 days ago
- Emergence of a novel H4N6 avian influenza virus with mammalian adaptation isolated from migratory birds in Zhejiang Province, China, 2024 2 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


