ZSL find new hope for the red squirrel
Scientists led by the Zoological Society of London have identified eight
cases in which free-living red squirrels have survived infection with the
squirrelpox virus by mounting an immune response. Their research has been
published in the peer-reviewed journal EcoHealth.
Dr Anthony Sainsbury, ZSL researcher
and lead author of the paper, said, 'We were absolutely delighted to find
signs of immunity in red squirrels after years of seeing the squirrelpox
virus devastating populations throughout England and Wales. This finding
is the first sign of hope in the long struggle to save the species from
extinction in the UK.'
The
red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a European rodent which has
declined dramatically in the UK since the introduction of grey squirrels (Sciurus
carolinensis) at the end of the nineteenth century. Their rapid
decline has been attributed primarily to the susceptibility of red
squirrels to the squirrelpox virus, which the grey squirrel harbours but
is immune to and which gives the greys a competitive edge over the reds.
The
research also confirmed that changes in the distribution of the
squirrelpox disease in red squirrels over time mirrored the changes in the
geographical range of the grey squirrel, supporting the theory that the
grey squirrel was the reservoir host of the virus, passing it to the red
squirrel but remaining immune to the virus itself.
Dr
Sainsbury added, 'Immunity to the squirrelpox virus should give red
squirrels a fighting chance against the grey invaders, without which red
squirrels would undoubtedly be destined to lose the battle for survival in
the UK.It is imperative that we now discover how widespread immunity to
squirrelpox virus in red squirrels is, and begin the work to develop a
vaccine to protect the small number of populations that still exist.'
The
paper was researched and written by scientists from the Zoological Society
of London, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Moredun Research Institute,
Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Royal Veterinary College and Queen Mary
University of London with funding provided by Natural England, People’s
Trust for Endangered Species, the Zoological Society of London and other
funding agencies.
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