Page 488 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Wildlife health and disease surveillance 425

In the Arctic, northern peoples have main- programme not only by collecting samples from
tained continuity with the traditional use of the harvested muskoxen, but also by providing
renewable resources. Although technology has their knowledge and observations on the status
changed over time, people continue to travel of muskoxen in the area (Figure 11.2).
on the land and observe and harvest wild game Social science methods combined with PE
throughout the year. This means that many techniques provide the framework for robust
local residents (for example, elders, hunters) collection of hunters’ knowledge on muskox
possess holistic experiential and traditional health and diseases in the form of epidemiologi-
knowledge about the environment and animals cal data. Semi-structured interviews (individual
they depend on for subsistence. Additionally, interviews followed by group interviews) with
they can access biological samples from the ani- the application of PE techniques are used to
mals they harvest at temporal and spatial scales gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
that would not be feasible to achieve otherwise. For example, proportional piling tools are used
Collaborating with local people for wildlife sam- to gather information on the relative prevalence
pling and to understand context through their of diseases observed in muskoxen as well as
observations is, therefore, crucial for improving data on population demography (structure and
wildlife health and disease surveillance. Such an abundance) (Figure 11.3); mapping is used to
integrative approach has been piloted and imple- georeference disease outbreaks; and a combina-
mented since 2014 in the Arctic community of tion of seasonal calendar and proportional piling
Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktutiaq, Victoria Island, can define epidemic curves of disease/mortality
Nunavut, Canada) to understand the health and outbreaks. Data are then interpreted by sci-
disease status of muskoxen (Figure 11.1). entists together with the hunters in feedback
Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are non-migra- sessions that are organized as the last phase of
tory ungulates and key species in the northern the interview process.
ecosystem. In Cambridge Bay, muskoxen are The interviews facilitated the co-design with
harvested for subsistence and revenue (that is, hunters of the hunter-based sampling pro-
sport hunting and commercial harvest). These gramme. Specifically, information about the
mammals are also a particularly important challenges that hunters face in the field has
source of country foods when other wild game, enabled the scientists and hunters to collabo-
especially caribou, are not available, and for this rate in finding feasible solutions and approaches.
reason they are extremely valuable with respect Compact, lightweight sampling kits are given to
to local food security. Several events, including hunters to take along during the hunt.
anecdotal reports of local muskox decline, have The pre-packaged and pre-labelled sampling
raised concerns regarding the health status of kits allow for easy collection of a standardized
muskoxen in the area. These led to the initiation set of samples from the harvested muskoxen,
of the participatory muskox health surveillance with the core set of samples including the left
programme in Cambridge Bay. hind leg (or metatarsus), blood-saturated filter-
In this programme, muskox health and dis- paper strips, skin with hair from the rump, and
ease status are investigated by combining local faeces (Figure 11.4). Each kit also includes a
and traditional knowledge from muskox hunt- form to record additional data about the collec-
ers (key informants) with scientific knowledge tor and the sampled animal (that is, hunting site,
derived from analyses of biological samples, the date, age and sex of the animal, a measure
targeted scientific studies, or field disease inves- of body condition status, and any abnormal find-
tigations. Hunters actively participate in the ings noticed when butchering the carcass). The

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