HOW DOES LYMES DISEASE EFFECT THE PREDATOR GUILD IN OUR FORESTS AND PRARIES?

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ALL OF US WHO HAVE HAD DOGS AND CATS AS PETS KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR LYME DISEASE, DISTEMPER, HEARTWORM PARPROVIRUS ARRAY OF PREVENTIVE SHOTS SO AS TO KEEP THEM AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR GUILD OF PREDATORS IN THE WOODS AND PRARIES RUN FREE COMING INTO CONTACT WITH WHATEVER PARASITES, VIRUSES , ETC EXIST IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS.
WITH LYMES DISEASE EXPLODING OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND EXPANDING IT'S RANGE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, I THOUGHT THIS MORNING TO INVESTIGATE IF THERE IS ANY RELEVANT LITERATURE DISCUSSING THE VULNERABILITIES OUR COYOTES, WOLVES, COUGARS, BEARS, FOXES, ETC, FACE AS IT RELATES TO THIS DISEASE THAT CAN BE SO DEBILITATING FOR US HUMANS...............NERVE DAMAGE, PARALYSIS, DEPRESSION, HEART PROBLEMS AND EVEN(IF NOT TREATED PROPERLY) DEATH.
SEVERAL OF OUR GOOD COYOTE BIOLOGISTS RESPONDED TO MY QUESTION............SEEMS THAT JUST LIKE OUR DOMESTIC PETS, LYMES CAN STRIKE OUR WILD BRETHERN.....................HOWEVER, NOT REALLY DOCUMENTED AS TO WHETHER THEY HAVE THE INTERNAL PLUMBING TO KEEP THE WORST OF THE LYMES SYMPTOMS AT BAY........................WILL COMMENT FURTHER AS ADDITIONAL FRIENDS, RESEARCHERS AND BIOLOGISTS PROVIDE ANY DATA THEY MIGHT POSESS ON THE SUBJECT.
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From: Roland Kays [RKAYS@MAIL.NYSED.GOV]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 5:34 AM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: Lymes
Rick,
I don't think we really know the answers to your questions. We do know coyotes can get lyme, but don't know if they sufferer symptoms in the wild. In fact, we rarely know this for any disease/wildlife combination. We do know that coyotes don't tend to die from it, cars and guns get them first.
Roland
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From: Jon Way [jw9802@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:43 AM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: Lymes and paro virus
Hi Rick,
Interestingly, deer here on the Cape are not nearly abundant, in fact in some areas they are fairly rare which a lot of people have a hard time imagining...I literally go weeks without seeing them while doing my research in Barnstable. See one of my publications on this (an Eastern Coyote Research pub!).
As per Lyme and Heartworm (not Parvo), they seem to keep on ticking even when testing positive. My guess/thoughts is that it doesn't bother them too much in their prime but rather takes years/time off the end points of their life especially when heartworms become more and more prevelent....
It sure is amazing they survive it.
best, Jon
Please visit my WEBPAGE (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/) where you can purchase my book Suburban Howls (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/Store.html) and help create a wildlife watching refuge in the town of Barnstable (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/supportECR.html)
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