Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be associated with a previously unidentified virus learned by a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could lead to a better understanding of how viruses could cause cancer in animals and humans. Medicine Research News, Medication Research, Health Research Information, Health Research, Health Technology, Medicine Science Rare brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be linked to a previously unidentified virus discovered by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their findings, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could bring about a better knowledge of how viruses could cause cancer in animals and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists in the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medication and UC Davis-led California Pet Health and Food Basic safety Laboratory found brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine which were from Northern California, this article reports. The 10th was delivered to UC Davis by researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, found in all the tumors, was a recently described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Experts suspect this virus plays a part in tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but hardly ever cause cancer, do not typically cross in one species to another, therefore the outbreak is not expected to spread to people or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have been within Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, once the article was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons seldom get tumors," said study writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. "That is why we take see when we get three tumors, significantly less 12." Polyomaviruses are recognized to cause cancer under laboratory conditions. Much less is known about their ability to cause cancer under natural circumstances among people, because cancer often takes years to develop. Raccoons, with their brief lifespans of two to three years, provides a model for learning how these viruses pass on outside the laboratory, how they cause cancer, and how easily they can jump from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento said this will not mean the virus is limited to that county, or even to Northern California. Marin County is home to WildCare, an pet rescue and rehabilitation center that routinely submits pet remains for diagnostic screening, which might lead to a sampling bias. Other California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her lab is usually collecting specimens and data from additional sources across the country, looking for the virus and for raccoon contact with it. Pesavento said more analysis is required to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other explanation is adding to the cancer. The study said that raccoons are uncovered daily to human waste, garbage, environmental toxins and environmental pathogens as they travel along sewer and water lines. "This is just the beginning of a story," said Pesavento, adding that high rates of cancer among wildlife are located in animals that are in close proximity to individuals. "Wildlife reside in our fields, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that is where we dump items. Humans have to be guardians of the wildlife-human interface, and raccoons are essential sentinel animals. They really are exquisitely exposed to our waste. We may be adding to their susceptibility with techniques we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of most human cancers worldwide, in accordance with the American Cancer Society. For instance, human papillomavirus can result in cervical malignancy. Feline leukemia virus, for which UC Davis created a vaccine, could cause cancer in cats. UC Davis also continues to review Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that's providing insight into human being cancer. "This work to research natural associations of cancer verifies the value of our One Health approach to addressing complex biomedical problems, such as viral causes of cancer," said Michael Lairmore, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, which the UC Davis One Health Institute is a part. "Understanding how infectious agents may contribute to cancer in animals has provided fundamental new knowledge on the reason for cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons may provide cancer clues
Rare human brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be linked to a previously unidentified virus uncovered by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could bring about a better knowledge of how viruses can cause cancer in pets and humans. Medicine Research News, Medicine Research, Health Research Information, Health Research, Health Technology, Medicine Science Rare brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be associated with a previously unidentified virus discovered by way of a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could lead to a better knowledge of how viruses could cause cancer in pets and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists in the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Pet Health and Food Security Laboratory found brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine which were from Northern California, this article reports. The 10th was sent to UC Davis by researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, found in all of the tumors, was a newly described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Researchers suspect this virus plays a part in tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but rarely cause cancer, usually do not typically cross from one species to another, so the outbreak is not expected to spread to persons or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have been found in Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, once the content was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons seldom get tumors," said research writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. "That's why we take see when we obtain three tumors, significantly less 12." Polyomaviruses are recognized to cause cancer under laboratory conditions. Much less is known about their capability to cause malignancy under natural circumstances among people, because malignancy often takes years to develop. Raccoons, with their short lifespans of 2-3 years, can offer a model for studying how these viruses spread outside the laboratory, how they cause cancer, and how easily they are able to leap from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento stated this does not mean the virus is limited to that county, or to Northern California. Marin County houses WildCare, an pet rescue and rehabilitation center that routinely submits animal remains for diagnostic screening, which might cause a sampling bias. Additional California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her laboratory is normally collecting specimens and data from various other sources across the country, searching for the virus and for raccoon contact with it. Pesavento said more research is required to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other description is adding to the cancer. The study stated that raccoons are uncovered daily to human waste, garbage, environmental toxins and environmental pathogens as they travel along sewer and water lines. "This is just the beginning of a tale," said Pesavento, adding that high prices of cancer among wildlife are located in animals that live in close proximity to human beings. "Wildlife reside in our fields, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that's where we dump factors. Humans need to be guardians of the wildlife-human user interface, and raccoons are essential sentinel animals. They are really exquisitely subjected to our waste. We might be contributing to their susceptibility in ways we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of all human cancers worldwide, in accordance with the American Cancer Culture. For example, human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer. Feline leukemia virus, that UC Davis developed a vaccine, can cause cancer in cats. UC Davis also proceeds to review Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that is offering insight into individual cancer. "This work to investigate natural associations of cancer verifies the benefits of our One Health approach to addressing complex biomedical problems, such as viral causes of cancer," said Michael Lairmore, dean of the institution of Veterinary Medicine, which the UC Davis One Health Institute is a component. "Focusing on how infectious brokers may contribute to cancer in pets has provided fundamental brand-new knowledge on the cause of cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons might provide cancer clues
Rare human brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be linked to a previously unidentified virus learned by way of a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their findings, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Illnesses, could lead to a better knowledge of how viruses can cause cancer in pets and humans. Medicine Research News, Medication Research, Health Research News, Health Research, Health Science, Medicine Science Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be linked to a previously unidentified virus discovered by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could lead to a better knowledge of how viruses could cause cancer in animals and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists in the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Pet Health and Food Safety Laboratory found human brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine which were from Northern California, this article reports. The 10th was delivered to UC Davis by researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, within all of the tumors, was a newly described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Experts suspect this virus contributes to tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but hardly ever cause cancer, do not typically cross in one species to another, therefore the outbreak is not likely to spread to most people or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have already been within Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, once the content was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons seldom get tumors," said research writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "That's why we take see when we obtain three tumors, much less 12." Polyomaviruses are known to cause malignancy under laboratory conditions. Less is known about their ability to cause malignancy under natural circumstances among people, because cancer often takes decades to develop. Raccoons, with their short lifespans of two to three years, can provide a model for studying how these viruses spread outside the laboratory, how they cause cancer, and how easily they can leap from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento said this will not mean the virus is bound to that county, or even to Northern California. Marin County is home to WildCare, an pet rescue and rehabilitation middle that routinely submits pet remains for diagnostic tests, which might bring about a sampling bias. Other California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her lab is usually collecting specimens and data from additional sources in the united states, searching for the virus and for raccoon exposure to it. Pesavento said more research is required to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other explanation is adding to the cancer. The analysis stated that raccoons are exposed daily to individual waste, garbage, environmental toxins and environmental pathogens because they travel along sewer and drinking water lines. "This is simply the beginning of a tale," said Pesavento, adding that high prices of malignancy among wildlife are located in animals that stay in close proximity to human beings. "Wildlife live in our areas, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that's where we dump stuff. Humans need to be guardians of the wildlife-human user interface, and raccoons are important sentinel animals. They really are exquisitely subjected to our waste. We might be adding to their susceptibility with techniques we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of all human cancers worldwide, according to the American Cancer Society. For example, human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer. Feline leukemia virus, for which UC Davis created a vaccine, could cause cancer in cats. UC Davis also continues to review Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that's providing insight into human cancer. "This work to research natural associations of cancer verifies the value of our One Health approach to addressing complex biomedical problems, such as viral causes of cancer," said Michael Lairmore, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, of which the UC Davis One Health Institute is a part. "Focusing on how infectious agents may contribute to cancer in pets has provided fundamental brand-new knowledge on the reason for cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons may provide cancer clues
Rare human brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be associated with a previously unidentified virus uncovered by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could cause a better understanding of how viruses can cause cancer in animals and humans. Medicine Research News, Medicine Research, Health Research News, Health Research, Health Technology, Medicine Science Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be associated with a previously unidentified virus uncovered by way of a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could lead to a better knowledge of how viruses can cause cancer in animals and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists at the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Animal Health and Food Protection Laboratory found human brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine of which were from Northern California, the article reports. The 10th was delivered to UC Davis by experts at Oregon Condition University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, found in all of the tumors, was a newly described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Researchers suspect this virus plays a part in tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but rarely cause cancer, usually do not typically cross in one species to another, therefore the outbreak is not expected to spread to many people or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have already been within Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, when the article was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons seldom get tumors," said study writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. "That is why we take see when we get three tumors, much less 12." Polyomaviruses are known to cause cancer under laboratory conditions. Much less is known about their ability to cause malignancy under natural circumstances among people, because malignancy often takes decades to develop. Raccoons, with their short lifespans of two to three years, provides a model for studying how these viruses pass on outside the laboratory, how they cause malignancy, and how easily they are able to jump from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento said this does not mean the virus is limited to that county, or to Northern California. Marin County is home to WildCare, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center that routinely submits pet remains for diagnostic examining, which might lead to a sampling bias. Various other California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her laboratory can be collecting specimens and data from other sources across the country, looking for the virus and for raccoon exposure to it. Pesavento said more analysis is needed to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other explanation is contributing to the cancer. The study stated that raccoons are uncovered daily to human being waste, garbage, environmental harmful toxins and environmental pathogens because they travel along sewer and drinking water lines. "This is simply the beginning of a story," said Pesavento, adding that high prices of malignancy among wildlife are found in animals that are in close proximity to humans. "Wildlife live in our areas, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that's where we dump points. Humans have to be guardians of the wildlife-human user interface, and raccoons are important sentinel animals. They are really exquisitely exposed to our waste. We might be adding to their susceptibility in ways we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of most human cancers worldwide, in accordance with the American Cancer Society. For example, human papillomavirus can lead to cervical cancer. Feline leukemia virus, for which UC Davis created a vaccine, can cause malignancy in cats. UC Davis also continues to study Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that is providing insight into human cancer. "This work to research natural associations of cancer verifies the benefits of our One Wellness approach to addressing complex biomedical problems, such as viral factors behind cancer," said Michael Lairmore, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, of which the UC Davis One Wellness Institute is a component. "Understanding how infectious brokers may contribute to cancer in pets has provided fundamental new knowledge on the reason for cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons might provide cancer clues
Rare brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be associated with a previously unidentified virus discovered by a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Illnesses, could lead to a better understanding of how viruses could cause cancer in pets and humans. Medicine Research News, Medication Research, Health Research Information, Health Research, Health Science, Medicine Science Rare brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be associated with a previously unidentified virus learned by a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could cause a better knowledge of how viruses can cause cancer in animals and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists in the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medication and UC Davis-led California Pet Health and Food Safety Laboratory found brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine of which were from Northern California, this article reports. The 10th was delivered to UC Davis by experts at Oregon Condition University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, within all the tumors, was a newly described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Experts suspect this virus contributes to tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but seldom cause cancer, do not typically cross in one species to another, therefore the outbreak is not expected to spread to many people or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have already been found in Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, once the content was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons seldom get tumors," said study author Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. "That's why we take see when we obtain three tumors, much less 12." Polyomaviruses are recognized to cause malignancy under laboratory conditions. Much less is known about their capability to cause cancer under natural circumstances among people, because cancer often takes decades to develop. Raccoons, with their brief lifespans of two to three years, can offer a model for learning how these viruses pass on outside the laboratory, how they cause cancer, and how easily they are able to leap from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento stated this does not mean the virus is bound to that county, or even to Northern California. Marin County is home to WildCare, an animal rescue and rehabilitation middle that routinely submits pet remains for diagnostic testing, which might bring about a sampling bias. Other California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her lab is certainly collecting specimens and data from other sources across the country, searching for the virus and for raccoon contact with it. Pesavento said more study is needed to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other explanation is contributing to the cancer. The study stated that raccoons are exposed daily to human waste, garbage, environmental toxins and environmental pathogens as they travel along sewer and water lines. "This is just the beginning of a story," said Pesavento, adding that high prices of cancer among wildlife are found in animals that are in close proximity to individuals. "Wildlife are in our fields, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that is where we dump points. Humans have to be guardians of the wildlife-human user interface, and raccoons are important sentinel animals. They are really exquisitely subjected to our waste. We may be contributing to their susceptibility in ways we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of all human cancers worldwide, in accordance with the American Cancer Culture. For example, human papillomavirus can result in cervical malignancy. Feline leukemia virus, that UC Davis developed a vaccine, can cause malignancy in cats. UC Davis also proceeds to study Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that is providing insight into human cancer. "This work to investigate natural associations of cancer verifies the importance of our One Health method of addressing complex biomedical problems, such as viral causes of cancer," said Michael Lairmore, dean of the institution of Veterinary Medicine, which the UC Davis One Wellness Institute is a component. "Focusing on how infectious brokers may contribute to cancer in pets has provided fundamental fresh knowledge on the cause of cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons might provide cancer clues
Rare brain tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be linked to a previously unidentified virus uncovered by a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, released today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could lead to a better understanding of how viruses could cause cancer in pets and humans. Medicine Research News, Medicine Research, Health Research Information, Health Research, Health Technology, Medicine Science Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon could be associated with a previously unidentified virus learned by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their findings, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could result in a better understanding of how viruses could cause cancer in pets and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists at the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medication and UC Davis-led California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory found brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine of which were from Northern California, the article reports. The 10th was sent to UC Davis by experts at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, found in all the tumors, was a recently described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Researchers suspect this virus plays a part in tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but seldom cause cancer, do not typically cross in one species to another, so the outbreak is not expected to spread to most people or other animals. Two even more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have been found in Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, when the content was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons hardly ever get tumors," said study writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. "That is why we take notice when we get three tumors, much less 12." Polyomaviruses are recognized to cause malignancy under laboratory conditions. Less is well known about their ability to cause cancer under natural conditions among people, because malignancy often takes decades to develop. Raccoons, with their brief lifespans of two to three years, provides a model for learning how these viruses spread beyond your laboratory, how they cause malignancy, and how easily they can jump from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento stated this does not mean the virus is bound to that county, or even to Northern California. Marin County is home to WildCare, an pet rescue and rehabilitation middle that routinely submits pet remains for diagnostic examining, which might cause a sampling bias. Various other California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her lab is collecting specimens and data from other sources across the country, searching for the virus and for raccoon exposure to it. Pesavento said more study is needed to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other explanation is contributing to the cancer. The study said that raccoons are uncovered daily to human waste, garbage, environmental toxins and environmental pathogens because they travel along sewer and water lines. "This is simply the beginning of a tale," said Pesavento, adding that high rates of cancer among wildlife are found in animals that stay in close proximity to humans. "Wildlife reside in our fields, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that is where we dump things. Humans have to be guardians of the wildlife-human interface, and raccoons are essential sentinel animals. They really are exquisitely exposed to our waste. We may be contributing to their susceptibility in ways we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as for example viruses, are connected with 15-20 percent of all human cancers worldwide, according to the American Cancer Culture. For example, human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer. Feline leukemia virus, that UC Davis developed a vaccine, can cause malignancy in cats. UC Davis also proceeds to review Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that's offering insight into human being cancer. "This work to research natural associations of malignancy verifies the benefit of our One Wellness approach to addressing complex biomedical complications, such as viral factors behind cancer," stated Michael Lairmore, dean of the institution of Veterinary Medicine, which the UC Davis One Health Institute is a component. "Understanding how infectious agents may donate to cancer in animals has provided fundamental fresh knowledge on the cause of cancer in people."
Explore further:|Emerging virus in raccoons may provide cancer clues
Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be associated with a previously unidentified virus learned by a team of experts, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their findings, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could cause a better understanding of how viruses can cause cancer in pets and humans. Medicine Research News, Medicine Research, Health Research Information, Health Research, Health Science, Medicine Science Rare mind tumors emerging among raccoons in Northern California and Oregon may be linked to a previously unidentified virus uncovered by a team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Davis. Their results, published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, could result in a better understanding of how viruses could cause cancer in animals and humans.
Necropsies conducted since March 2010 by scientists in the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Animal Health and Food Security Laboratory found human brain tumors in 10 raccoons, nine of which were from Northern California, the article reports. The 10th was delivered to UC Davis by experts at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The common factor, found in all the tumors, was a newly described virus, dubbed raccoon polyomavirus. Researchers suspect this virus contributes to tumor formation. Polyomaviruses, which are prevalent but seldom cause cancer, do not typically cross in one species to another, so the outbreak is not expected to spread to most people or other animals. Two more raccoons with the tumor and the virus have been within Yolo and Marin counties since September 2012, once the content was submitted to the journal for publication. "Raccoons hardly ever get tumors," said study writer Patricia Pesavento, a pathologist with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "That is why we take see when we obtain three tumors, much less 12." Polyomaviruses are recognized to cause cancer under laboratory conditions. Less is well known about their capability to cause cancer under natural circumstances among people, because cancer often takes decades to develop. Raccoons, with their short lifespans of two to three years, provides a model for studying how these viruses pass on outside the laboratory, how they trigger malignancy, and how easily they can jump from species to species. Of the 12 raccoons affected, 10 were collected from Marin County. Pesavento said this will not mean the virus is bound to that county, or even to Northern California. Marin County houses WildCare, an animal rescue and rehabilitation middle that routinely submits animal remains for diagnostic examining, which might result in a sampling bias. Additional California raccoons were submitted by Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Contra Costa County and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. Pesavento said her lab is usually collecting specimens and data from other sources in the united states, looking for the virus and for raccoon contact with it. Pesavento said more study is needed to understand whether an environmental toxin, genetics or other description is adding to the cancer. The study stated that raccoons are exposed daily to human being waste, garbage, environmental harmful toxins and environmental pathogens as they travel along sewer and drinking water lines. "This is just the beginning of a tale," said Pesavento, adding that high rates of cancer among wildlife are found in animals that live in close proximity to human beings. "Wildlife are in our fields, our trash cans, our sewer lines, and that is where we dump stuff. Humans have to be guardians of the wildlife-human interface, and raccoons are important sentinel animals. They really are exquisitely subjected to our waste. We might be contributing to their susceptibility in ways we haven't discovered." Infectious pathogens, such as viruses, are associated with 15-20 percent of all human cancers worldwide, according to the American Cancer Society. For example, human papillomavirus can bring about cervical cancer. Feline leukemia virus, for which UC Davis created a vaccine, can cause malignancy in cats. UC Davis also proceeds to study Marek's disease, a deadly virus in chickens that is offering insight into individual cancer. "This work to investigate natural associations of cancer verifies the benefit of our One Wellness approach to addressing complex biomedical complications, such as viral factors behind cancer," stated Michael Lairmore, dean of the institution of Veterinary Medicine, of which the UC Davis One Health Institute is a component. "Understanding how infectious agents may contribute to cancer in pets has provided fundamental brand-new knowledge on the reason for cancer in people."
