Free-ranging marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) health: immobilization, sample collection and disease survey

Abstract

Orozco MM & Di Nucci, D. Chapter 115: Free-ranging marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) health: immobilization, sample collection and disease survey. En: Miller: Fowler´s Zoo & Wildlife Medicine, Vol. 10 (Miller E, Lamberski N & Calle P; Eds) Elsevier Ed. This chapter is a compilation of existing information on free-ranging marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) medicine in South America. The data reviewed corresponds mainly to experiences in Argentina and Brazil. The information from Argentina is based on our experience acquired during field work in the framework of an inter-institutional project "Conservation of marsh deer in wetlands of northeastern Argentina: evaluation of morbidity and mortality episodes", through which mortalities have been analyzed in relation to pathogens and associated environmental variables. This chapter has sections on the geographic distribution and habitat of marsh deer, mortality events, chemical Immobilization, rescue, management and sampling of marsh deer, sampling dead marsh deer, biohazard during wildlife mortality events, and diseases reported in wild marsh deer. The chapter also includes five tables with the most relevant biological information of the marsh deer, chemical restraint agents used in the species, hematological and serum biochemistry parameters for marsh deer in Argentina, and infectious, parasitic, and fungal agents reported in the species.