Zoo Animal Diseases

Hi All,

I am currently doing a course in Zoo Keeping and this forum has been really helpful to me regarding ideas for different enclosures etc, so thank you all so much!

The assignment I have just started is Health, and my first task is to find out the major health issues in UK Zoos and the management plans in place. As I do not know anyone who works in a zoo and I have not yet got a work placement, I'm struggling with this one!

My list so far contains:
Tuberculosis
Ringworm
Salmonella
Trichinella / Trichinosis
Foot and Mouth
Chromoblastomycosis
Ticks

Plus I thought I should add some "every-day" type ailments like:
Obesity / Malnutrition
Mental Health
Arthritis and Joint problems (ie elephants)
Wounds and infection.

I have no idea if what I am including is correct, and I really want to get this right. Could anyone with Zoo experience assist me with this? Are there things I could add, or things I have included that are not relevant?

Apologies for waffling on a bit!

I would be extremely grateful for any help.

Cheers,

Helen

 

For birds, try Atoxoplasmosis, Yersinia, Duck Virus Enteritis and Aspergillosis.

 

Thanks for your help, FBBird. I'm in over my head with this assignment! Lol

Cheers,

H

 

You could divide it into bacterial, virus, fungal, and parasitic, possibly adding management-related (diet, enclosure design). Don't forget disease transmission from wild animals, free-roaming/feral domestics (cats, pigeons), and humans (especially to primates). You might mention the risks associated
With visitors giving food to animals.

 

Hi Helga

Welcome to the forum. You could also include the EEHV1 Virus which is causing a lot of problems in the UK and Europe with Asian Elephants... Research is currently ongoing but atm there is unfortunately no cure
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/us/27elephant.html?_r=0

 

Thanks Nisha, the link was very helpful. I'll definitely include EEHV1 in my assignment.

Thanks to you both - these are great suggestions

 

I was concerned by this information on polar bears.

 

Thanks, Callorhinus.

It's scary how these viruses are not species - specific. I read something the other day about Beluga Whales being infected with Toxoplasmosis!

 

Can you provide link please?

 

There's also the human cold sore (Herpes simplex I think), which is very dangerous to Callitrichids (marmosets and tamarins), to the extent that staff with active cold sores can't work with these species.

 

You could look at ringbone in horses (a species specific type of osteoarthritis) and see if wild equines experience the same problem.

 

BBC News - Cat parasite found in Arctic Beluga Here's the Beluga article

Fatal Herpes simplex Infection in a Group of Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) looks like it's fatal to them :-(

JBZVolunteer - thanks, I'll check that out too!

 

Thanks Helga!

I think you can mention eye problems such as cataract and corneal opacities in pinnipeds in you survey though I doubt that these problems are "major health issues in UK Zoos".