Ray of hope for the red squirrel (1 Viewer)

[Martin Thomas]

From the BBC article here

A ray of hope has been offered for one of the UK's most iconic and endangered animals.

Scientists have found that some red squirrels have developed immunity to a disease that has ravaged their numbers.

The pox is transmitted by grey squirrels; but while greys suffer no ill effects from it, if a red catches the virus it will be dead within weeks.

The findings, published in EcoHealth, suggest a vaccine could now help to save red squirrels from annihilation.


I'm a bit puzzled as even the Online First subscription of the EcoHealth journal doesn't appear to have the article so I'm not 100% confident the BBC have the right publication. I suspect a new article by Carrol et al. (2008) in Epidemiology and Infection entitled 'Epidemics of squirrelpox virus disease in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris): temporal and serological findings' may actually be the correct one which can be found here. Unfortunately I don't yet have full access to the article so can't comment further.

 

[razorsharp]

One up for the Red! Lets hope they develop an immunty drug now!

 

[Martin Thomas]

One up for the Red! Lets hope they develop an immunty drug now!

It's a nice thought but a long way off. I've just got my hands on the article and will hopefully digest it later then post back here.

 

[ikw101]

It's a nice thought but a long way off. I've just got my hands on the article and will hopefully digest it later then post back here.

Also in the Telegraph -

Certainly looks genuine however most wildlife related articles within this paper do have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Any ideas where Squirrel Pox originated from? Is it endemic within the original american population of Grey's or is it something they've picked up since introduction over here eg. from Reds !

From Zoological Society of London website

ZSL find new hope for the red squirrel
Thursday 16 October 2008

A number of red squirrels are immune to squirrelpox viral disease, which many believed would lead to the extinction of the species, scientists have discovered.

Scientists led by the Zoological Society of London have identified eight cases in which free-living red squirrels have survived infection with the squirrelpox virus by mounting an immune response. Their research has been published in the peer-reviewed journal EcoHealth.

Dr Anthony Sainsbury, ZSL researcher and lead author of the paper, said, 'We were absolutely delighted to find signs of immunity in red squirrels after years of seeing the squirrelpox virus devastating populations throughout England and Wales. This finding is the first sign of hope in the long struggle to save the species from extinction in the UK.'

The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a European rodent which has declined dramatically in the UK since the introduction of grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) at the end of the nineteenth century. Their rapid decline has been attributed primarily to the susceptibility of red squirrels to the squirrelpox virus, which the grey squirrel harbours but is immune to and which gives the greys a competitive edge over the reds.

The research also confirmed that changes in the distribution of the squirrelpox disease in red squirrels over time mirrored the changes in the geographical range of the grey squirrel, supporting the theory that the grey squirrel was the reservoir host of the virus, passing it to the red squirrel but remaining immune to the virus itself.

Dr Sainsbury added, 'Immunity to the squirrelpox virus should give red squirrels a fighting chance against the grey invaders, without which red squirrels would undoubtedly be destined to lose the battle for survival in the UK.

'It is imperative that we now discover how widespread immunity to squirrelpox virus in red squirrels is, and begin the work to develop a vaccine to protect the small number of populations that still exist.'

The paper was researched and written by scientists from the Zoological Society of London, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Moredun Research Institute, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Royal Veterinary College and Queen Mary University of London with funding provided by Natural England, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, the Zoological Society of London and other funding agencies

 

[Martin Thomas]

The Telegraph piece is just another news report derived from the new article in the 'Epidemiology and Infection' journal and whilst I'd agree that the newspaper does print garbage at times the journal article is a peer reviewed paper.

The source of the infection is stated as follows:
"Although grey squirrels were periodically removed from the designated Red Squirrel Reserve in Thetford between September 1992 and the time of the disease outbreaks described in this paper, the Reserve was continuously repopulated through immigration
of grey squirrels."

Whilst this isn't an extensive study, it does appear that SQPV antibodies have been recorded for the first time in reds but the authors suggest the results are viewed with caution and propose that further investigation is required.

If it has any weight it is that of reinforcing the plight of the red squirrel due to SQPV which has been conclusively shown yet again to be carried and spread by greys.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

There was an article in the Indy based on this on Thursday that presented it as the salvation of the red.

I can't really see how-some reds are becoming immune but this is presumably non-transferable, and has no bearing on the outcompetition by the grey.

 

[Farnboro John]

Unfortunately this implies all Red Squirrels in UK without the immunity are doomed, which presumably means things will get much much worse before they get better and leave us with a rather restricted gene pool?

Keep pushing for Grey eradication I say.

Perhaps we could keep a small population on an offshore island for year-ticking purposes?

John

 

[Pluvius]

I hope you like this!!

 

[razorsharp]

Nice One Pluvius. :clap: I'd give that little one a heap of Hazelnuts, much cuter than a Grey aswell.

 

[ikw101]

They shoot squirrels, don't they?

An interesting article from the front line.

It may be wiping out our native red squirrel, but the American grey has finally met its match. Tim Adams meets a pair of modern-day pied pipers hellbent on extermination

Tim Adams The Observer, Sunday October 19 2008

 

[Martin Thomas]

A very insightful and interesting article. Perhaps a little bloodthirsty in places but desperate times need desperate measures. At least these guys aren't sitting on the fence and if the reports are true, then they have already made a difference.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

I read that too, and if they are having as much success as they claim, it puts paid to those that oppose culling in terms of effectiveness. Just hope they get to Lancashire!

 

[razorsharp]

If it's as effective as they say then fair play to them, they don't seem to be the sort of people I would get on with, a bit bloodthirsty. I just hope it is humane, I don't mind the number of squirrels being killed, but I wouldn't condone it if it was done cruely.

The Red Squirrel needs protection though and culling the Grey's is needed to keep the the Reds.

 

[Martin Thomas]

I must admit I'm curious and have reservations about their traps. My experience from efforts in Cumbria is that reds are caught more frequently than greys and can quickly become trap-happy with all the stresses it brings.

 

[razorsharp]

The Red just doesn't fair well these days.

 

[christineredgate]

Somewhere ,someone was asking where to see Red Squirrels in Cumbria.I took my 1st shot of one today in the grounds of Muncaster Castle-Ravenglass.Apparently they are to be seen amidst a small group of Scots pines,just outside of the grounds.

 

[Martin Thomas]

Well done Christine - nice picture! I thought they'd been lost at Muncaster after the greys moved in and even infected the reds in the breeding cage a couple of years ago.

 

[Martin Thomas]

The paper ("Poxviral Disease in Red Squirrels Sciurus vulgaris in the UK: Spatial and Temporal Trends of an Emerging Threat") by Sainsbury et al. of the Institute of Zoology on the findings of red squirrels with antibodies to SQPV has just been published in EcoHealth journal. If anyone would like to read the whole paper then please let me know.

Despite the optimistic conclusion the paper just confirms the bad news we already know. Greys are killing reds.



Abstract:
The squirrel poxvirus (SQPV) is the probable mediator of apparent competition between the introduced invading gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in the UK, and modeling studies have shown that this viral disease has had a significant impact on the decline of the red squirrel in the UK. However, given our limited understanding of the epidemiology of the disease, and more generally the effects of invasive species on parasite ecology, there is a need to investigate the transmission dynamics and the relative pathogenicity of the virus between species. We aimed to increase our knowledge of these processes through an empirical study in which we: (i) used pathological signs and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to diagnose SQPV disease in red squirrels found dead during scanning surveillance between 1993 and 2005; (ii) detected antibody to SQPV using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the same animals; and (iii) mapped cases of the disease, and the gray squirrel distribution, using a geographical information system. We analyzed the distribution of cases of SQPV disease according to woodland type, a measure of squirrel density. SQPV disease occurred only in areas of England also inhabited by seropositive gray squirrels, and as the geographical range of gray squirrels expanded, SQPV disease occurred in these new gray squirrel habitats, supporting a role for the gray squirrel as a reservoir host of the virus. There was a delay between the establishment of invading gray squirrels and cases of the disease in red squirrels which implies gray squirrels must reach a threshold number or density before the virus is transmitted to red squirrels. The spatial
and temporal trend in SQPV disease outbreaks suggested that SQPV disease will have a significant effect on Scottish populations of red squirrels within 25 years. The even spread of cases of disease across months suggested a direct rather than vector-borne transmission route is more likely. Eight juvenile and sub-adult freeliving red squirrels apparently survived exposure to SQPV by mounting an immune response, the first evidence of immunity to SQPV in free-living red squirrels, which possibly suggests a changing host-parasite relationship and that the use of a vaccine may be an effective management tool to protect remnant red squirrel populations.

 

[Martin Thomas]

An interesting news article on Scotland's fight against the invading greys can be found here.

Good to see concerted action happening now as well as money being spent to study the effects of grey culling.

 

[ikw101]

An interesting news article on Scotland's fight against the invading greys can be found here.

Good to see concerted action happening now as well as money being spent to study the effects of grey culling.

Well spotted Martin I hope they learn from the mistakes made further south. I trust Jo Ellis has been misquoted !

"Jo Ellis, who is heading the programme at Forestry Commission Scotland, said culling greys must not be the only tactic to protect reds.

"The stronghold approach is an insurance policy in a way," she said.

"We don't want them to only live in these places, but it's about trying to give reds places where they can thrive.

"It doesn't mean we are giving up on grey-squirrel control but if we just try and cull grey squirrels and that doesn't work, then reds will have very little chance."

The chosen areas of forests will be heavily planted with conifer trees. Mrs Ellis said: In these forests reds seem to be able to thrive but greys don't go there.

:eek!: "They are not interested. They are going to be so unfriendly to a grey squirrel that they won't want to be there." :eek!:

The feedback comments are also interesting. Personally I think comment 12 sums it all up rather well.

Two agencies, The Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage, and two agendas. Neither agency has as its prime concern the protection of red squirrels.

The Forestry Commission wants to continue to do what it likes doing best: ploughing and draining the land and creating dense plantations of exotic conifers. The peril of the red squirrel is a convenient smokescreen for business as usual.

Scottish Natural Heritage wants to continue to do the only thing it dares to do: keeping its head down, not causing controversy, not standing up for any aspect of Scotland's natural heritage, not saying boo! to a goose or even a grey squirrel. And if something awful happens, like an apparently successful way of protecting some aspect of our natural heritage that will cause dissent amongst the nincompoops and cuddly animal brigade, then bunker down and call for more research. That is what Mairi Cole is doing, no doubt on instruction from above: the Andrew Thin effect.

The awful thing that has happened is this: just two men and an army of enthusiastic volunteers, working with a grant of just £148,000, have in the last year or so killed twenty thousand grey squirrels in Northumberland, where they are now almost eradicated. They are now moving south into County Durham.
see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/25/conservation
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/country-view/Squirrel-cull-could-extend-.4629110.jp
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/10/easquirrel110.xml

So, what is SNH's response? To spend nearly ten times as much (£1.3million) over three years "to find out how effective culling grey squirrels is likely to be in the fight to save the reds." In other words, kick the problem into the long grass and do nothing, whilst ensuring the funds keep rolling in. Meanwhile, SNH does not even object to planning applications for housing estates in native pinewood that are the last stronghold of the red squirrel in Scotland.

Are you listening, Environment Minister, Mike Russell?

You've made a good start in your new(ish) job. For the first time that I can remember we actually seem to have an environment minister who cares about the environment. So, Mr Russell, are you going to pick up SNH by its scrawny chicken's neck and give it a good shake to rid it of its wormtongues (you should know who they are by now) and tell it to start employing people of integrity and courage as well as scientific rigour :-O

And specifically, are you, Mr Russell, going to throw this pathetic excuse for inaction back in SNH's face and tell it to come up with a plan for the eradication of the grey squirrel from Scotland that takes as read the indubitable success of the Northumberland action?

Do that, Mr Russell, and we could be free of this pest in five years. And you would have earned the respect and gratitude of every tufty in the land. As well as a few of their real human friends. :t: