Evaluation of Noninvasive Molecular Monitoring for Fecal Pathogens Among Free-Ranging Carnivores.

Authors: Ballmann Acton, Anne Elaine

From North Carolina State University

Disease surveillance in wildlife is limited by difficulties in obtaining ante-mortem diagnostic samples. Serologic surveys provide imperfect, retrospective measures of susceptible and immune subpopulations to pathogens that do not reveal which individuals are currently infectious. I examined fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostics as a noninvasive, alternative means of monitoring for pathogen presence among sympatric carnivores.

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