PhD

Insecticide resistance in lice at The Donkey Sanctuary: strategies to mitigate its effects

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Methodology

Prospective questionnaire and sample collection, and in vitro laboratory assay and analyses.

Aims
  1. To identify the presence of insecticide resistance in donkey lice.
  2. To identify risk factors for pediculosis.
  3. To develop a useful tool for diagnosing and estimating louse burden.
  4. Developing targeted selective treatment.
  5. Develop novel methods for controlling lice in donkeys.
Results
  1. Detected high levels of tolerance to permethrin ((SwitchTM, VetPlus Ltd, 4% (w/v) and cypermethrin (DeosectTM, Pfizer Ltd., 0.1% (w/v) consistent with resistance development.
  2. A strong seasonal pattern of louse infestation was identified, with the highest number of donkeys with lice recorded in winter (Oct-Mar). Significantly more very young (<4 yrs) and very old (>30 yrs) donkeys had lice than middle aged animals.Donkeys’ hair length was positively correlated with the presence of lice (P<0.05) but not with the number of lice each donkey carried (P=0.1). 
  3. The axilla and supraorbital fossa were identified as being the sites most commonly populated by live lice in both housed and outdoor donkeys (P<0.05).  In addition, the presence of lice eggs in the first 2cm of the coat is a good indicator of an active infestation . Excoriation consistent with hair fibre shortening was indicative of pediculosis and the amount of this type of rubbing a donkeys coat displayed was positively correlated with louse burdens. However, more severe dermal rub lesions, such as alopecia, showed no association.
  4.  Clipping was found to have no significant effect (P=0.15) on louse abundance 2 weeks or more after clipping in the winter;  however, in the summer months clipping did have a detrimental effect on louse populations.
  5. Tea tree and lavender essential oils were investigated and identified as clinically and statistically significant (P<0.05) methods of louse control used at 5% concentration as a topical grooming spray.
Conclusions

The population of lice at the sanctuary have a high level of tolerance to the pyrethroid insecticides previously used for their control. In vitro contact assays showed that 4% permethrin and cypermethrin resulted in <30% louse mortality after 24 h exposure. This level of insecticide tolerance may account for the treatment failures reported at the Sanctuary in recent years and highlights the need for alternative louse control strategies.

Detection of lice can be aided by targeting animals most at risk from infestation. Indeed, this study found a convex quadratic relationship between donkey age and probability of carrying lice, with the elderly and young most at risk. In addition excoriation consistent with light coat abrasion is an indicator of louse presence. However, overreliance on donkey characteristics and appearance is likely to lead to misdiagnosis of pediculosis. For accurate detection, examination of the coat should be thorough and include the most commonly infested louse predilection sites namely the axilla and supraorbital fossa.

As is the case with many species of Phthiraptera in temperate climates, the prevalence and abundance of Bovicola ocellatus displays a strong seasonal pattern, with >80% of animals infested in the winter months. However, a year round management protocol maybe advisable as summer clipping appears to have a detrimental effect on louse populations. 

 In addition, these preliminary findings indicate that tea tree and lavender essential oils provide a clinically useful level of B.ocellatus control and with further research and refinement they could form the basis of future louse control regimes in donkeys.

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Improving sarcoid management: an epidemiological and molecular approach

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Methodology

In this multi-disciplinary project we aim to identify the risk factors for sarcoids and to identify specific ‘molecular signatures’ that will aid in the management and treatment of sarcoids in donkeys.

Aims

In this multi-disciplinary project we aim to identify the risk factors for sarcoids and to identify specific ‘molecular signatures’ that will aid in the management and treatment of sarcoids in donkeys.

Objectives
  1. Identify epidemiological factors associated with development of sarcoids by using and enhancing the available Donkey Sanctuary clinical database.
  2. Identify key risk factors associated with development of sarcoids by mapping animal contact, location and key movements.
  3. Use RNA transcriptome profiling and viral genotyping to differentiate sarcoid types and use this data to develop prognostic biomarkers of recurrent/non-recurrent sarcoids to aid in treatment management.

Protection from the elements - part two

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To expand upon the work done in Protection from the Elements Part one. Part two is focussed on warmer climates and implementing changes to provide better protection from the element for working equids in such climates.

Reframing benefits of equid assisted activities: An analysis of engagement between autistic children and donkeys

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Methodology

Capturing interspecies interactions demanded a methodology that was flexible enough to include children and donkeys as equal participants. Many of the autistic children who took part in this research were non-verbal, therefore the methods utilised for exploring their inner lives and affective states were compatible with those often used to study non-human animals.  

What is lost with some quantitative research methods is the temporal sequence of events during relationship formation which was seen as critical in donkey assisted therapy (DAT) sessions. Capturing individual stories by using multispecies ethnography complemented the quantitative data and offered examples of the context and tangential variables surrounding interactions that would be impossible to control for in a quantitative repeated measures design.  

Aims
  1. To explore if The Donkey Sanctuary donkey assisted therapy program continued to be beneficial for both children and donkeys as the founder Elisabeth Svendsen had intended when she set it up in the mid 1970’s. 

  2. To focus on exploring the child and donkey relationship by viewing both as active participants (much of previous body of work focussed only on the human’s responses). 

  3. To rigorously explore the engagement between child and donkey, with a view to informing practice going forwards. 

Objectives
  1. To develop a Quality of Engagement tool 

  1. To investigate and answer the following questions: a) how does one member of a child-donkey dyad affect the other in equid assisted activities (EAA), and b) do participants act differently with members of their own species as opposed to the other?  

Results

The research confirmed that interspecies engagement can be measured equally for both species and the results can be used as an indicator for welfare and consent of non-verbal participants. It did not, however, show that such engagement reflected outcome benefits. ‘Benefits’ are subjective and dependent on how and of whom the question is asked. Other EAA research has indicated that there are positive ‘benefits’ from EAA, yet they have not included measures of engagement their participants actually experienced. Without a clear indication of engagement between partners, it is not possible to attribute these benefits solely to the EAA. The undefined yet very special ‘thing’ that is so attractive about donkeys and horses should be observed as a concrete variable, such as their emotional state and motivation to engage for the purpose of EAA research. 

The relationship between autistic children and donkeys relies on the uniqueness of each character on any given day. Autism is not a homogeneous description of a person, and whether it is considered a diversity or a diagnosis, it still translates to each person being unique. Both humans and donkeys are individual characters made up by their culture, family group norms, peer norms, genetic makeup, individual histories, and individual personalities. How they will relate to one another is very hard to predict and therefore requires constant monitoring for both welfare and consent. 

Autistic children and donkeys were shown to be a compatible coupling because some of their traits were similar and complemented their interactions. Both cohorts required a calm environment to be able to focus, smooth and fluid movements from others around them and as much time as they needed to process information. EAA is not a lifesaving medical intervention therefore it should only be considered as a practice for those children who show a willingness towards interactions with other species. Equally, some donkeys may find certain individuals or environments distressing and this should be monitored and respected.  

Conclusions

The findings of this research showed that both human and donkey partners were affected by the other and many of those interactions were considered positive, but not all. The donkey participants in this research significantly modified their behaviour to accommodate the children. Donkey behaviour was different when they were with other donkeys showing their awareness of the vulnerabilities of children in EAA sessions. Children were also affected by the other partner in the dyad. Some were generally more aversive towards donkeys than they were to other children which could be attributed to species communication differences however, some children were able to relax more when with donkeys than other children.  

The ethnographic stories highlighted the differences between human-donkey dyads and just how difficult it is to direct individuals towards meaningful relationships within a given environment or timeframe. This is the both the crux and the mystery of EAA. It is the understanding of who the other is and the resulting quality of engagement that dictates the interpersonal experiences within sessions.  

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