Conservation Medicine
Joy Ware, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Affiliate Professor of Biology, and her graduate students are conducting research focused on monitoring, evaluating and understanding the relationship between diseases and abnormalities of amphibians and reptiles, human health and environmental conditions. Amphibians and reptiles are sensitive to environmental conditions and can serve as bioindicators for some potential human health risks. These investigations can thus contribute to both better conservation of wildlife and improvement of some conditions affecting human health. Participants in these different studies include biology graduate students Karen Duncan and Nicolas Frederick, Davis Massey, M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S. (Department of Pathology), Betty Forbes, Ph.D., Clinical Microbiology Director, (Department of Pathology), Richard Marconi, Ph.D., (Department of Microbiology), Anne Wright, Coordinator of Educational Outreach VCU Life Sciences, Cathy Viverette, VCU Center for Environmental Studies, John Kloepher, Wildlife Biologist and Herpetologist with Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and Jonathan Sleeman, DVM, Wildlife Veterinarian for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The Conservation Medicine Program is a newly emerging multidisciplinary program focused on the interactions of wildlife, human and environmental health. Diseases, anthropogenic activities, climate and environmental conditions all have consequences for both wildlife and people.
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Disease and Health Monitoring in Amphibians
One ongoing study is focused on assessment of the incidence and types of diseases and abnormalities found in amphibians in urban and non-urban sites. This study with biology graduate student Karen Duncan involves analysis of frogs, toads and salamanders for both gross disease evidence, histopathological diagnosis and molecular analysis for the presence of the DNA of specific pathogens from tissue swabs and tissue samples. Analysis of the occurrence and frequency of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which is contributing to amphibian declines world-wide, and the ranavirus species, which have killed numerous amphibians and some reptiles, are closely investigated. The VCU Rice Center is among the non-urban sites studied.
Ambystoma maculatum – spotted salamander – with swelling under throat due to Ichthyophonus-like infection.
Adult northern green frog (Lithobates clamitans melanota) found dying in urban Virginia from wide-spread bacterial infection, see red areas on legs, later determined to be Aeromonas hydraphilla, and Ranavirus infection confirmed by PCR analysis. This frog also suffered from a rectal prolapse.
Diseases of Snakes at Area Wildlife Refuges
Investigation of external skin lesions and blood parasites in snakes found at three different National Wildlife Refuges in Virginia is an on-going study which began in fall 2005. Members of the Virginia Herpetological Society have contributed significantly to this study.
Black rat snake with swollen external lesion. Lesion was confirmed to be bacterial infection with Pseudomonas sp. (See histological insert at base.)
Lizards and Lyme Disease
Assessment of the interactions between tick nymphs and eastern fence lizards is a project in collaboration with Dr. Richard Marconi, Department of Microbiology, MCV Campus of VCU, and members of the Virginia Herpetological Society. Other investigators have proven that biodiversity reduces the incidence of Lyme disease transmission to people. Lizards in particular are frequently bitten by tick larvae and nymphs. Studies from California have shown that the blood of the western fence lizard kills the Lyme diseasecausing spirochete. In the on-going study we are examining the incidence of tick nymph and tick infestation on eastern fence lizards at Wildlife Refuges and attempting to determine if the blood of eastern fence lizards can also kill Lyme disease causing spirocetes.
Eastern fence lizard with tick nymphs infestation.
Relocation of Eastern Box Turtles at the Rice Center
A new project with John Kloepher, Wildlife Diversity Biologist and herpetologist at Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Catherine Viverette, Research Associate with VCU Environmental Studies Department, and Biology graduate student Nicolas Frederick will be initiated spring 2008. In this study investigations will focus on development of an effective way to release captive-borne, young eastern box turtles and restore them to the habitat at the VCU Rice Center. This study will also involve tracking the movement of the turtles and monitoring their health status before and after release.