Bigler W J, Jenkins J H, Cumbie P M, Hoff G L, Prather E C
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1975 Oct 1;167(7):592-7.
Inasmuch as terrestrial fauna are an integral part of our natural environment and are directly exposed to disease and pollutants, it follows that certain wild populations could serve to detect subtle alterations within ecosystems. A collection of studies on raccoons is presented to stimulate other researchers to develop the potential of our wildlife resources as monitors of environmental health. Raccoons have been used as serologic sentinels for St Louis encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis. Studies suggest that the raccoon may be used as an indicator of leptospirosis, tularemia, and some enteric bacteria and viruses. Base line surveys have defined (1) residue levels of organochlorine and organophosphate compounds and (2) body burdens of mercury, cesium-137, and strontium-90. Physiologic responses, parasite burdens, and reproductive processes are also considered as measures that may reflect pertinent information about environmental health.
由于陆生动物是我们自然环境中不可或缺的一部分，且直接接触疾病和污染物，因此某些野生种群可用于检测生态系统内的细微变化。本文展示了一系列关于浣熊的研究，以激励其他研究人员开发我们野生动物资源作为环境卫生监测指标的潜力。浣熊已被用作圣路易斯脑炎和委内瑞拉马脑炎的血清学哨兵。研究表明，浣熊可用作钩端螺旋体病、兔热病以及一些肠道细菌和病毒的指示生物。基线调查已确定了（1）有机氯和有机磷化合物的残留水平，以及（2）汞、铯 - 137和锶 - 90的体内负荷。生理反应、寄生虫负荷和生殖过程也被视为可能反映有关环境卫生相关信息的指标。
