Short note doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.15446/caldasia.v40n1.63654 http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/cal Caldasia 40(1):188-191. Enero-junio 2018 Domestic horses within the Maya biosphere reserve: A possible threat to the Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) Caballos dentro de la reserva de la biosfera Maya: Una posible amenaza para el tapir Centroamericano (Tapirus bairdii) Manuel lepe-lópez1*, rony García-anleu2, nicholaS M. Fountain-JoneS3, Gabriela ponce2, Mariano Gonzalez2, luiS e. eScobar4 1 PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 252, Santiago, Chile. [email protected] 2 Wildlife Conservation Society, Flores Island, Petén, Guatemala. 3 Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. 4 Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA. * Corresponding author. ABSTRACT The Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is the largest herbivore in the Neotropics classified as “endangered.” It has been proposed that Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIA) is a disease of horses with potential to lead to further decline of T. bairdii populations. In this study, we used domestic horses as sentinels for EIA in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala. In total, 40 % (13) horses tested were seropositive to EIA. This study may inform wildlife management strategies inside protected areas by considering the threat from incursions of domestic animals inside core areas of natural reserves. Key words. Equine Infectious Anemia disease, Lentivirus, Spillover, Wildlife diseases. RESUMEN El tapir centroamericano (Tapirus bairdii) es el herbívoro más grande del Neotrópico clasificado “en peligro de extinción”. Ha sido propuesto que la Anemia Infecciosa Equina (AIE) es una enfermedad de caballos con potencial de provocar una declinación de las poblaciones de T. bairdii. En este estudio utilizamos caballos domésticos como centinelas para AIE en la Reserva de la Biosfera Maya en Guatemala. En total, el 40 % (13) caballos evaluados fueron seropositivos a AIE. Este estudio puede orientar las estrategias de manejo de áreas protegidas, considerando la amenaza de incursiones de animales domésticos en zonas núcleo de reservas naturales. Palabras clave. Enfermedad Anemia Infecciosa Equina, Lentivirus, Transmisión, Enfermedades de vida silvestre. 188 Lepe-López et al. Spillover of infectious diseases (i.e., hotspot and has the largest tapir population interspecific transmission) from domestic in Guatemala (Vettorazzi and Manrique animals to wildlife occurs often but is poorly 2016). Monzón and Schuster (2013) documented (Power and Mitchell 2004). reported the presence of biting tabanid flies Nevertheless, these events are a threat to of the genera Tabanus and Chlorotabanus in the conservation of species with reduced the MBR. We attempted to answer a crucial populations (Craft et al. 2009). Furthermore, question that may help clarify the risk to EIA the spillover of pathogens is more frequent infection for tapirs: Is there virus circulation between species genetically related. in domestic horses in areas where tapirs are present? The Central American tapir Tapirus bairdii Gill, 1865, is the largest terrestrial herbivore We conducted a serosurveillance in in the Neotropics, and is classified as December 2012 in the MBR. The tapir “endangered” by the International Union population has been estimated to be ~120 for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red individuals in the ~1,170 km² reserve (García List; populations have declined ~50 % in et al. c2009). Horses in the reserve are used the last thirty years (García et al. c2017). for transportation during archaeological Infectious diseases, combined with illegal explorations and tourist transportation hunting and habitat loss, are a significant from the edges to core areas of the reserve, threat for tapir conservation (Pedersen including to the archaeological sites El et al. 2007). In Mexico, transmission of Mirador and Rio Azul where tapir are diseases from horses to T. bairdii have present (García et al. c2009). We looked for been reported, mainly helminths of the prior exposure to EIA virus in horses living genus Trichostrongylus (Aldán et al. inside the reserve in Carmelita Community, 2006). via identification of EIA antibodies in the blood serum. Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIA; Lentivirus of the Retroviridae family) has We collected 5 ml of blood from horses been considered a potential risk for tapirs to obtain the serum. Serological analysis (Mangini et al. 2012). EIA virus is a vector- (agar gel immunodiffusion; Coggins et al. borne disease transmitted principally by 1972) was conducted at the Microbiology hematophagous tabanid flies (Diptera: Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Tabanidae; Issel and Foil 1984). However, Medicine, University of San Carlos, in in the Atlantic Forest and Pantanal Biomes Guatemala City. of Brazil (1996-2012), especially in the Morro do Diabo Park, 100 % tapirs (Tapirus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758) were found to be Although Guatemalan law prohibits the entry negative to EIA virus antibodies (May Júnior of domestic animals to core areas of natural 2011, Medici et al. 2014). The presence of reserves (CONAP c2001), we observed that horses in the Morro do Diabo Park, however, the use of horses in the nucleus of the MBR was not reported in this study, reducing the is a common practice. From the serological information necessary to analyze spillover survey, thirteen samples (40 %) out of the events thoroughly. 32 collected were positive for EIA, one horse was determined suspect, and 18 were The Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) is negative to the agar gel immunodiffusion considered a Mesoamerican biodiversity test. Strikingly, our serology results show 189 Horses within the Maya biosphere reserve that the horse population inside the reserve AUTHOR´S CONTRIBUTION had previous exposure and possible infection MALL data collection, analysis, and to EIA, making these horses potential document writing; RGA conception and carriers of the EIA virus in the natural document writing; NFJ document writing, reserve. Under this scenario, risk of EIA GP conception and design and document spillover from horses to wild tapirs exists in writing; MG conception, data acquisition, the Guatemalan reserve. Seropositive horses and document writing; LEE document were present in areas where plausible EIA writing. vectors have been reported (Monzón and Schuster 2013). CONFLICT OF INTEREST Previous attempts to find evidence of EIA The authors declare that there is no conflict infection in wild tapir in other countries of interests. have been unsuccessful. For example, three studies attempting to identify antibodies ACKNOWLEDGMENTS against EIA in T. terrestris at three sites in Brazil had negative test results (Medici et FUNDESA (Fundación para el desarrollo al. 2014, Furtado et al. 2010, May Junior de Guatemala) and PACUNAM (Fundación 2011). Thus, this virus has not been reported Patrimonio Cultural y Natural Maya) in individuals of the Tapirus genus to date provided funding for the development of (Medici et al. 2014). However, phylogenetic this study. Roan Mcnab supported the field analysis within the Perissodactyla confirms work component. Authors thank Meggan E. the close relationship between horses and Craft for her invaluable suggestions during tapirs (Price and Bininda-Emonds 2009) the preparation of this manuscript. suggesting that EIA spillover from horses to tapirs is plausible (Pedersen et al. 2007). LITERATURE CITED Horses spatially overlapping with the Aldán EC, Torres IL, Andrade DMG, Sarabia DO, distributions of tapirs may not be new Quintero MT. 2006. Parasites of the Central phenomena. It has been suggested that in American tapir Tapirus bairdii (Perissodactyla: 1519 Spaniards introduced horses into the Tapiridae) in Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Biol. Americas. This introduction apparently Trop. 54(2):445–450. occurred in Mexico, later extending horse Coggins L, Norcross NL, Nusbaum SR. 1972. populations throughout the Americas (Fazio Diagnosis of equine infectious anemia by immunodiffusion test. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1995). Our overall results suggest that 33(1):11–18. without effective management, biodiversity [CONAP] Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas. reserves may not protect wildlife from c2001. Plan Maestro de la Reserva de la disease spillover from domestic animals. We Biosfera Maya. Guatemala: [last accessed: 24 argue that infected horses should be removed Feb 2016]. http://theredddesk.org/sites/default/ from the natural reserve considering that (i) files/plan_maestro_rbm_2001-2006.pdf no vaccine is currently available for EIA, (ii) Craft ME, Volz E, Packer C, Meyers LA. 2009. Distinguishing epidemic waves from disease infected animals are potential reservoirs for spillover in a wildlife population. Proc. R their entire life, (iii) blood-sucking flies are Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 276:1777–1785. doi: present in the area, and (iv) there is limited 10.1098/rspb.2008.1636. understanding of the potential effects of EIA Fazio PM. 1995. The fight to save a memory: in tapirs. Creation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse 190 Lepe-López et al. Range (1968) and evolving federal wild horse Medici EP, Mangini PR, Fernandes-Santos RC. protection through 1971. [Tesis]. [Texas]: 2014. Health Assessment of Wild Lowland Texas A&M University. Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) Populations in the Furtado MM, Jácomo AT, Kashivakura CK, Atlantic Forest and Pantanal Biomes, Brazil Tôrres NM, Marvulo MF, Ragozo AM, de (1996–2012). J. Wildl Dis. 50(4):817–828. doi: Souza SL, Neto JS, Vasconcellos SA, Morais 10.7589/2014-02-029 ZM, Cortez A, Richtzenhain LJ, Silva JC, Monzón J, Schuster J. 2013. Mayab Yik’elil Silveira L. 2010. Serologic survey for selected Kan: The Tropical Insects of the Ancient infectious diseases in free-ranging Brazilian Kan Kingdom of Mesoamerica. FARES tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in the Cerrado of Foundation. Corporacion Litográfica S.A., Central Brazil. J. Zoo Wildl. Med. 41(1):133– Guatemala; I edition. 136. doi: 10.1638/2007-0087.1. Pedersen AB, Jones KE, Nunn CL, Altizer S. García M, Castillo F, García L, Leonardo R. c2009. 2007. Infectious diseases and extinction risk El Tapir Centroamericano (Tapirus bairdii) in wild mammals. Conserv. Biol. 21(5):1269– como herramienta para el fortalecimiento del 1279. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00776.x. Sistema Guatemalteco de Áreas Protegidas. Power AG, Mitchell CE. 2004. Pathogen spillover [last accessed: 24 Feb 2016]. http://digi.usac. in disease epidemics. Am. Nat. 164(S5): S79– edu.gt/bvirtual/informes/puirna/INF-2009- S89. doi:10.1086/424610. 052.pdf Price SA, Bininda-Emonds ORP. 2009. A García M, Jordan C, O’Farril G, Poot C, Meyer comprehensive phylogeny of extant horses, N, Estrada N, Leonardo R, Naranjo E, Simons rhinos and tapirs (Perissodactyla) through data Á, Herrera A, et al. c2017. Tapirus bairdii. The combination. Zoosyst. Evol. 85(2): 277–292. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 doi: 10.1002/zoos.200900005. web site. [last accessed: 20 Nov 2017]. http:// Vettorazzi M. Manrique RL. 2016. Classification dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS. of potential habitat of the Central American T21471A45173340.en. tapir (Tapirus bairdii Gill, 1865) for their Issel CJ, Foil LD. 1984. Studies on equine conservation in Guatemala. Therya. 7(1):107– infectious anemia virus transmission by insects. 121. doi: 10.12933/therya-16-345. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 184(3):293–297. Mangini PR, Medici EP, Fernandes Santos RC. 2012. Tapir health and conservation Received: 08/04/2017 medicine. Integr. Zool. 7(4):331–345. doi: Accepted: 02/01/2018 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2012.00323.x. May Júnior JA. 2011. Avaliação de Parâmetros Fisiológicos e Epidemiológicos da População de Anta-brasileira (Tapirus terrestris, Linnaeus, 1758) na Mata Atlântica do Parque Estadual Morro do Diabo, Pontal do Paranapanema, São Paulo [Tesis.] [Sao Pablo.]: Universidade de São Paulo USP. 191