SURVEY OF WILD MAMMALS IN A CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA FOR SELECTED ZOONOSES

Abstract

Studies were conducted on 104 striped skunks, 97 raccoons, 64 opossums, 10 woodchucks, 5 feral cats, and 1 muskrat. Animals were trapped on an undeveloped forest and swamp area in Eastern Maryland. Leptospiral agglutinins were demonstrated in 62% of the skunks, 15% of opossums and 50% of the raccoons. Leptospiral serogroup members isolated from hosts were as follows: skunks — icterohaetnorrhagiae, grippotyphosa, ballum, and autumnalis; opossum — icterohaemorrhagiae and ballum; raccoon — icterohaemorrhagiae. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from one raccoon. Significant complement-fixing antibodies for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever group of rickettsia were demonstrated in 15% of 102 skunks, 18% of 94 raccoons, 40% of 10 woodchucks and in only 1 of 54 opossums. Isolates of a pox virus which appears to be a new type were obtained from upper respiratory tissues of two raccoons. Significant antibody titers for the isolated pox virus were demonstrated in 23% of 92 raccoon sera. Two isolates serologically rela...