Taetzsch S J, Bertke Andrea S, Gruszynski K R
Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Virginia Department of Health, Office of Epidemiology, Richmond, VA, USA.
Zoonoses Public Health. 2018 Jun;65(4):412-419. doi: 10.1111/zph.12449. Epub 2018 Feb 8.
Feral cats raise public health concerns due to their large population numbers and ability to harbour pathogens that cause disease in people, pets, and wildlife. Information regarding the potential for feral cats to intersect with areas frequented by humans is lacking. This study examined the potential for feral cats and human territories to overlap in the Richmond metropolitan area of Central Virginia. Feral cats (n = 275) were trapped for monthly trap-neuter-release (TNR) clinics from July to November 2016. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to map feral cat trapping locations, elementary and preschools, public parks, and community gardens, and to evaluate the potential for cat interaction with these areas, presuming a maximum habitat radius of 0.44 miles. We found that 8.0% of feral cats in the Richmond metropolitan area had potential to range onto public elementary or preschool property, and 81.5% of feral cats trapped in Richmond City had potential to roam into one or more places of interest, including elementary and preschool grounds, public parks, and community gardens. This provides public health, veterinary, and human health professionals with important information that can be used to focus resources in an effort to reduce zoonosis associated with feral cat populations.
由于流浪猫数量众多，且能够携带可导致人类、宠物和野生动物患病的病原体，它们引发了公众对健康问题的担忧。目前缺乏关于流浪猫与人类频繁活动区域交集可能性的信息。本研究调查了弗吉尼亚州中部里士满都会区流浪猫与人类活动区域重叠的可能性。2016年7月至11月期间，为每月一次的诱捕-绝育-放归（TNR）诊所捕获了275只流浪猫。利用地理信息系统（GIS）绘制流浪猫的诱捕地点、小学、幼儿园、公园和社区花园的地图，并假定最大栖息地半径为0.44英里，评估流浪猫与这些区域接触的可能性。我们发现，里士满都会区8.0%的流浪猫有可能进入公立小学或幼儿园区域，在里士满市捕获的流浪猫中，81.5%有可能进入一个或多个感兴趣的场所，包括小学和幼儿园场地、公园和社区花园。这为公共卫生、兽医和人类健康专业人员提供了重要信息，可用于集中资源，努力减少与流浪猫种群相关的人畜共患病。
