hacked by p@3t_b@y for turks

by Adrianne Maslen, 28th June 2007

THE Lyme Regis Allotments Association is calling on the National Trust to cull wild deer on their land after an allotment owner caught Lyme Disease from ticks.

Ticks have been found on the allotments, which the association believe have come from the wild deer roaming on the National Trust land above them.

Now one woman, a nurse, has caught Lyme Disease, after being bitten by a tick.

Tony Rice, secretary of the Lyme Regis Allotments Association, said: “We are very concerned someone has picked up a disease that can be serious.

“She is an allotment owner and also a nurse. Unfortunately, to get to her allotment she has got to go up a path where someone hasn’t cut the grass.”

Mr Rice said the deer regularly wander on to the allotments, and the association want them gone.

“What has happened is the wild deer comes down from the National Trust land above,” he said.

“I have been on to the National Trust warden and asked him if they can cull some of the deer.

“Apart from the damage they are doing to people’s crops, we have one lady who has caught Lyme Disease from the ticks.

“We are rather hoping the National Trust will cull them, but I can’t see them doing that.

“We have never had to get in touch with the National Trust before and we realise that with the hunting ban we can’t just go out and shoot them.”

And they want to be rid of the deer for more reasons than one. Mr Rice said: “This is coupled with the fact that if we plant anything, we have to net it because the deer keep eating it.

“We have always had the odd deer but this year there seems to be half a dozen or so. This year has been the worst I know of.”

But Rob Rhodes, National Trust head warden for West Dorset, said the allotment association has only contacted them about the deer eating their crops, and not about the ticks.

Mr Rhodes said: “The National Trust’s West Dorset office has been contacted by the allotment association to raise the issue of deer ingression into their allotments. We have talked through their concerns in outline and would be happy to look at the options to try and help if we can.

“Where cultivated land borders open countryside in which deer roam, deer fencing is a good start to protecting crops and gardens.

“The issue of ticks was not raised by the allotment association.”

http://tinyurl.com/2by7q6
 

Urban zoonoses caused by Bartonella, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia species.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2001 Summer;1(2):91-118.
Comer JA, Paddock CD, Childs JE.

Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. jnc0@…

The last half of the 20th Century witnessed an increase in the occurrence and recognition of urban zoonoses caused by members of the genera Bartonella, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia, all traditionally considered to be members of the family Rickettsiaceae. In recent years, new human pathogens (Bartonella elizabethae, Bartonella henselae, and Rickettsia felis) have been recognized in urban environments. Other newly recognized pathogens (Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia phagocytophila in the United States) have sylvan zoonotic cycles but are present in urban areas because their vertebrate hosts and associated ectoparasitic arthropod vectors are able to survive in cities. Still other agents, which were primarily of historical importance (Bartonella quintana) or have not traditionally been associated with urban environments (Rickettsia rickettsii), have been recognized as causes of human disease in urban areas. Some diseases that have traditionally been associated with urban environments, such as rickettsialpox (caused by Rickettsia akari) and murine typhus (caused by Rickettsia typhi), still occur in large cities at low or undetermined frequencies and often go undetected, despite the availability of effective measures to diagnose and control them. In addition, alternate transmission cycles have been discovered for Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia prowazekii, and R. typhi that differ substantially from their established, classic cycles, indicating that the epidemiology of these agents is more complex than originally thought and may be changing. Factors leading to an increase in the incidence of illnesses caused by these bacteria in urban areas include societal changes as well as intrinsic components of the natural history of these organisms that favor their survival in cities. Transovarial and transstadial transmission of many of the agents in their arthropod hosts contributes to the highly focal nature of many of the diseases they cause by allowing the pathogens to persist in areas during adverse times when vertebrate amplifying hosts may be scarce or absent. Domesticated animals (primarily cats, dogs, and livestock) or commensal rodents [primarily Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and house mice (Mus musculus)] can serve as vertebrate amplifying hosts and bring these agents and their ectoparasitic arthropod vectors into direct association with humans and help maintain transmission cycles in densely populated urban areas. The reasons for the increase in these urban zoonoses are complex. Increasing population density worldwide, shifts in populations from rural areas to cities, increased domestic and international mobility, an increase in homelessness, the decline of inner-city neighborhoods, and an increase in the population of immunosuppressed individuals all contribute to the emergence and recognition of human diseases caused by these groups of agents. Due to the focal nature of infections in urban areas, control or prevention of these diseases is possible. Increased physician awareness and public health surveillance support will be required to detect and treat existing urban infections caused by these agents, to determine the disease burden caused by them, to design and implement control programs to combat and prevent their spread, and to recognize emerging or resurging infections caused by members of these genera as they occur.

Publication Types:

* Review
PMID: 12653141 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

New Research

Ticks are on the increase!!

By Dr Alan S. Bowman, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences

There are growing reports that the tick population in the UK is rising and causing increased problems for many stakeholders including upland farmers, hunting estates and countryside users in general.

As well as the nuisance factor of ticks attaching, ticks transmit a variety of disease causing organisms in their saliva as they feed.

One such tick-borne disease caused by the Louping Ill virus has a serious effect on upland sheep farming and is of major concern to grouse estate managers where it has a fatality rate of 80% in grouse chicks.

In a joint collaboration involving myself, NERC-CEH Banchory, the Macaulay Institute and the Game Conservancy Trust, we have been studying the epidemiology of Louping Ill in an effort to better understand the likelihood of occurrence and spread of the virus in the Scottish Uplands to aid management practices.

Ellie Watts, NERC-funded PhD student in her final year has been studying the effect of vegetation type and host species’ densities on tick abundance and Louping Ill virus prevalence on six Scottish estates.

Using highly sensitive methods adapted at the University of Aberdeen to detect Louping Ill virus in individual unfed ticks, we have determined virus prevalence in the tick populations 300-times higher than previously reported.

Presently, Ellie is analysing her extensive dataset in order to create predictive risk maps of Louping Ill and hopefully will be able to inform land managers of vegetation types and particular individual host species (hares, red deer, sheep, grouse, etc) or species assemblages that favour large tick populations and Louping Ill virus transmission.

A BBSRC-CASE funded project involving myself and the Macaulay Institute is due to start in October 2006 and will study the epidemiology of Lyme disease, a serious bacterial disease transmitted to humans by ticks throughout the UK. In preliminary studies, we found Lyme disease in ticks collected from Bennachie and a campsite.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clsm/ebulletin/research/details.php?id=67

11st June 2007 - Adrienne Penfield

“Doctors may see increasing numbers of cases of Lyme disease in the future as recent news reports have indicated a rise in the tick population, some of which carry the disease and can spread it to humans by biting and attaching themselves” - Dr Claire Wratten.

The MDU is warning its GP and hospital doctor members to ensure they consider a diagnosis of Lyme disease, which is most common in Spring and Summer. A number of complaints and claims have been reported to the MDU in recent years, which primarily allege a delay in the diagnosis of this condition.

Dr Claire Wratten, MDU senior medical claims handler, said:

“The diagnosis of Lyme disesase can be difficult to make because initial symptoms may be non-specific and mistaken for other conditions. While a delay or failure in diagnosis is not necessarily negligent, if the condition remains untreated, patients may develop serious symptoms affecting mainly the neurological, cardiac and musculo-skeletal systems, many months to years after the initial infection.

“Doctors may see increasing numbers of cases of Lyme disease in the future as recent news reports have indicated a rise in the tick population, some of which carry the disease and can spread it to humans by biting and attaching themselves. In England and Wales 684 cases of Lyme disease were reported last year and Scotland has seen a ten fold increase in the numbers reported 10 years ago with 177 cases last year* - which is why we are warning our members to be alert to the possibility of the disease in their patients.”

Despite the increase in incidence of Lyme disease, the MDU says it is likely that an individual doctor will only rarely see a case. In view of this, the MDU has issued the following advice to its members, aimed at avoiding delay or failure in diagnosis:

Advise patients to take precautions against tick bites if they are visiting woods, heathland and parklands in high risk areas. Advice is available online at:

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/Prevention/ld_Prevention_Avoid.htm

www.masta-travel-health.com/tickalert/prevention.html

www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070321_lyme.htm

Be aware that there are various clinical manifestations of Lyme disease.
Consider the diagnosis in patients with suggestive symptoms who have walked in areas where the disease is prevalent, such as Scotland, the New Forest and North America. Be aware that only about 20 per cent of patients are likely to recall the tick bite**.

If the diagnosis is considered, arrange appropriate tests to exclude or confirm the diagnosis.

Be aware of the relevant guidelines on treatment of the condition, for example those from the Health Protection Agency and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

As with all aspects of patient care, it is important to keep accurate contemporaneous records, and to record both positive and negative findings.

Remember that Lyme disease is a notifiable disease in Scotland, but not in England and Wales.

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Copied with permission.

By Rog Wood
Glasgow Herald, June 06 2007

A dramatic increase in the number of ticks on the hills and uplands is causing serious disease problems in cattle and sheep.

Ticks also threaten hillwalkers and ramblers by transmitting Lyme disease that can cause chronic arthritis and can also attack the central nervous system and the heart.

Tick-borne infections in livestock also exacerbate other infections and are now causing high abortion rates in ewes and poor fertility in cattle.

David Kirkpatrick, Auchenbainzie, Thornhill, is typical of many farmers affected in the south-west of Scotland. He was left counting the cost of his tick problem after 60 of his 250 beef cows scanned as barren last autumn. He normally expects no more than 5% to be barren but last November 25% were found not to be in calf.

“At first we thought of the usual suspects like infertile bulls or an outbreak of bovine virus diarrhoea, but gradually my vet eliminated them. Extensive blood testing of the herd finally concluded that the most likely cause of the problem was ticks,” explained Kirkpatrick. “All the barren cows tested positive to having been infected by ticks,” he added.

He had started a system of wintering his cows based on an environmental scheme on his hill. The hill land is now not grazed until the late autumn when the cows are weaned. They then graze it until the beginning of January before being strip grazed on kale. It appears that created ideal conditions for ticks that then caused the cows to abort or reabsorb their foetuses.

Kirkpatrick has been advised by his vet to get all the cattle acclimatised to ticks before they become pregnant, or as young stock.

Scottish Agricultural College vet Brian Hosie confirms that increasing tick numbers are a real problem. He reckons that is partly because hill and upland areas are becoming wetter because hill drains are no longer maintained.

There is also an increasing mat of vegetation due to less grazing pressure as livestock numbers are reduced, partly in response to declining profitability and partly as a result of environmental schemes. Above all else is the effect of global warming that has led to mild, wet winters.

He reckons that another reason for the dramatic rise in tick numbers is that farmers have been discouraged from dipping sheep. “There is no doubt that dipping was the most effective method of controlling ticks,” he adds.

He reports that there are more veterinary investigations where diseases of cattle and sheep are associated with tick diseases. “There are more abortions in sheep and more louping ill, a viral disease of cattle and sheep that also kills grouse.”

© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
15th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Copenhagen / Denmark, April 2-5, 2005

Serological diagnosis of culture confirmed early Lyme disease (erythema migrans) by two different EIAs and three Western Blot tests in an Italian population

Abstract number: 1134_01_105

Sparacino M., Marangoni A., Cavrini F., Storni E., Cevenini R., Mondardini V., Sambri V.

Objectives:
To comparatively evaluate the performances of two different EIA methods and three Western blot tests for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis.

Methods:
60 sera were serially obtained from 30 Italian patients suffering from acute culture confirmed Lyme disease. All the patients received antimicrobial therapy at the enrollment: the follow up period was 1 month. 65 cross-reacting serum specimens were also evaluated. The following EIAs were used: Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE (Euroimmun) and Quick ELISA C6 (synthetic peptide based from Immunetics). As confirmatory methods, three different Western blot (WB) tests were used: Euroline-WB (Euroimmun), Qualicode B.burgdorferi WB (Immunetics) and a multispecies ‘home made’ test.

Results:
The highest sensitivity was found for Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE IgG (56.6%) whereas the sensitivity of Quick C6 was lower (33.3%). In addition, since 17 sera from the very early disease were positive only for the IgM response when tested by Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE IgM, this test performed as a whole system with a sensitivity of 85.0%. The specificity of Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE was 98.5% for the IgG and 78.5% for the IgM: these values suggested the need of a confirmatory testing by WB. The three WB methods showed comparable performances for the detection of the IgM. On the other hand, the WBs performed differently for the IgG detection: the most sensitive was the ‘home made’ method (71.7%), ranking at second place is the Euroline-WB (68.3%). The Qualicode test was the least sensitive (26.6%). The specificity of the ‘home made’ and of Qualicode tests was 100%, whereas the Euroline WB IgG identified 12 cross-reacting specimens as border line, giving a specificity value of 80.0%.

Conclusion:
The Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE ELISA showed to be a better test than the Quick C6 but it still need to be followed by a confirmatory test in any case of positivity. The need of WB still remains in Europe, where the etiology of Lyme disease is complicated by more than one pathogenic genospecies.

http://tinyurl.com/2xxk8n

by Kelli Best-Oliver

Last week I wrote about how pet owners can make more sustainable choices when it comes to their pets. A few days later, Green Options received an e-mail from James, a pet owner whose Dalmation, Hamish, suffered grand mal seizures from what James believed were toxic flea/tick medications.

Upon further investigation, it turns out that the EPA didn’t even regulate over-the-counter pet products such as these until 1996, and was still phasing out pet products containing certain chemicals as late as last year.

In fact, the Humane Society issued a warning about flea/tick medications, and the Natural Resources Defense Council released a report in 2000 titled Poisons on Pets: Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products which linked these chemicals found in flea/tick medications to serious health problems in both pets and humans. The main offenders are organophosphate insecticides and carbamates, which interfere with nerve signals in the body. Though meant to work on insects, they can have similar effects on the nervous systems of pets and humans, particularly children because of their developing nervous system. There is also ample evidence to suggest that long-term exposure to products containing such chemicals can produce serious health problems, such as later-in-life cancer and Parkinson’s, in children who were exposed at an early age. Kittens and cats are also particularly vulnerable when exposed to OTC products for dogs.

This doesn’t mean that all flea/tick medications are dangerous: this mainly applies to older brands of OTC medications. Avoid products that list chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon, malathion, carbaryl, or propoxur in their active ingredients. Take the safe route and always get your pet’s medication from your vet–it’s not worth the few bucks you’d save by buying products over the counter. There are also safe non-pesticide methods to flea/tick control, including using flea combs, regular shampooing, increased vaccuming/sweeping, and keeping pets inside, but again, talk to your vet about what is best for your pet.

http://tinyurl.com/ytf7da

Walking and playing in the woods is a pastime enjoyed by many who vacation in Germany or have relocated to the country. Yet many are unaware of the hidden dangers in the undergrowth. Expatica’s health advisor Frances Geiger Pelles reports.

They are tiny, blood-sucking parasites, related to the spider and they prefer to make their home in the shrubby areas of woodlands and forests. They may seem fairly harmless but actually are far more dangerous than most realize: their bite can cause serious infections such as Lyme disease or Tick Borne Encephalitis.
Over the past two decades, the incidence of Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis) and Tick Borne Encephalitis known in Germany as Frühsommer Meningoencephalitis has increased in several European countries, including Britain.

Every year more than 4000 cases are reported in Germany, mostly from the southern and eastern parts of the country and because there is no obligation to register the information with the health authorities, a large number of cases go unreported – an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 annually.

“The risk of infection is greatest from April to October, when ticks are most active and because tick saliva contains an anaesthetic, a bite may go unnoticed,” says H.R. Brodt, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Frankfurt University Hospital. “This means it is very important to check the body for attached ticks because evidence suggests that the transmission of the infection risk of starts around 12 hours after the bite.”

Contrary to common belief, ticks don’t fly, jump, or drop from trees. Instead they inhabit shrubby undergrowth and meter-high vegetation where they use heat and carbon dioxide sensors to detect when an animal or human brushes past against the leaves. From there, they can easily transfer themselves onto clothing or skin.
More often than not, they feed on wild animals, especially deer, mice and voles, but they also feed on domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, dogs and cats. Humans are accidental hosts.

The tick life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. To progress from nymph to adult, ticks need a blood meal. Before feeding, the nymph is about the size of a poppy seed with a dark head and a translucent body. After filling up with blood, it becomes round in shape, turns dark grey and is about the size of a mustard seed. Adult ticks are the size of a sesame seed and after, feeding swell to the size of a sunflower seed and also turn a dark grey colour.

In humans, they cling on to the skin and wander around the body for several hours before finding a suitable place to insert their corkscrew-shaped mouthpiece and feed. Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but prefer to take their meals in the more hidden moist and hairy places such as the groin, armpits and scalp. The back of the knee, around the waist and buttocks are also favourite blood-sucking spots. They usually remain on the body for many days and transmit the infection as they feed.

“Symptoms of Lyme Borreliosis in the early stage often begin with a so called ‘erythema migrans’, a red blotch or widening ‘bulls-eye’ ring around the bite point, accompanied by flu-like feelings of headache, fever, stiff neck, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite,” explains Brodt. “Research shows that the majority of people who contract Lyme Borreliosis experience only these first-stage symptoms and never become seriously ill after treatment with antibiotics.”

But some do.

“A minority will go on to the second stage of the disease, which begins two weeks to three months after the initial infection,” he adds. “At this stage, people often suffer arthritic pain, cardiac and neurological complications such as irregular heart beats and cranial nerve paralysis. Disabling arthritis and neurological symptoms that resemble those of multiple sclerosis marks the third stage of Lyme disease, which generally begins within two years of the original infection. However, symptoms vary widely and some people also experience memory loss, mood swings, and an inability to concentrate.”

Because Lyme Borreliosis often mimics other disorders, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Peter Larsen underwent knee surgery before his doctor confirmed Lyme disease. “I didn’t recall being bitten or having a rash,” he recalls. “When my knee became very painful I thought I had arthritis or a meniscus problem. I had difficulty walking and eventually had knee surgery, but my joint was okay. Later a blood test revealed I had Lyme Borreliosis and needed intravenous antibiotics to halt the disease.”

Generally Germans are cautious of tick bites and understand the difference between Lyme Borreliosis and Tick Borne Encephalitis, says Brodt. Lyme Borreliosis is a bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics. If the tick is removed quickly (within 12 hours after first contact), it is possible to prevent the infection developing. “Although infrequent, and rarely life threatening, if left untreated the disease can be serious.” he adds.

Because it cannot be treated with antibiotics, Tick Borne Encephalitis poses a greater threat, warns Sarah Randolph, a professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. This is a viral infection that can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). In about 1 per cent of people, it can be fatal.

Flu-like symptoms are typical in these infections and develop up to eight days after being bitten. A month later, a quarter of patients develop a second stage with high fever, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and partial paralyses. A few patients may experience longer-term complications for example, balance and coordination problems, headaches and hearing defects as well as concentration difficulties. Liver cells and heart muscle can also be affected, says Randolph. How is Tick Borne Encephalitis treated?
Immunoglobulin injections are given as soon as possible after bite to try to prevent the virus multiplying. If you live in a geographical ‘hot spot’ vaccination is recommended. How is Lyme Borreliosis treated?

Antibiotics such as Amoxicillin or Doxycycline is given orally or intravenously. What to do if you find a tick on your body:

Do not force the tick to back out by prodding or squeezing. Using fine-point tweezers, grasp the tick firmly, as near to the mouth as possible, and pull straight out, then clean the area with disinfectant. Do not twist or rip the tick from your skin. Don’t panic. Not all tick bites are infectious. However, see your doctor if a rash develops, or symptoms occur. Is there a test?

A blood test will detect antibodies to the infection in your blood stream.

How to prevent tick bites:Anyone visiting forests, fields or pastures should wear light-coloured clothing so that the tick can be seen and removed. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved top. Tuck your pants into your socks and tuck your top into your pants. Children should wear a cap and avoid sitting or rolling around in long grass. Always do a thorough body search and shower after outdoors activities. Pets should wear a tick collar.Where are the tick ‘Hot Spots’?

Ticks that spread Lyme Borreliosis are common throughout Germany.

Tick Borne Encephalitis risk areas are mainly in the southern Germany, in the southwest from Aschaffenburg to Konstanz and in the southeast from Saaleholzland to Berchtesgardener Land. Cases have also been found in Thuringia and Marburg Biedenkopf.

– Frances Geiger Pelles is a registered nurse and health consultant based in Frankfurt. She is the author of the book, “The Essential Balance.”
Copyright Frances Geiger Pelles

May 2007

http://tinyurl.com/yu4pts

New study investigates whether mountain hare are disappearing
Thursday, 31 May 2007 15:28

Mountain hares (Lepus timidus) are one of our most fascinating native animals. They have been an integral part of the British countryside for over 12,000 years with most of them living in the Scottish hills. While there were around 350,000 in 1996, it is thought that recent changes in land use may have caused a rapid decline in mountain hare numbers.

To learn more about their current distribution, The Game Conservancy Trust (a leading game and wildlife research charity) is undertaking a nationwide postal survey among gamekeepers, hill walkers, land managers and conservation groups along with partners Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI), and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA).

Dr Julie Ewald, who is managing the survey for The Game Conservancy Trust said, “Anecdotal reports suggest that in certain areas mountain hare numbers have declined in recent years, but it can be difficult to determine the status of mountain hare populations as the abundance of this species can cycle. We are hoping that by asking as wide a range of people as possible to participate in the survey, we will able to provide the scientific evidence needed to direct their future conservation.”

The moorland environment in Scotland provides a perfect mosaic habitat for mountain hares, which depend on short, young heather and grasses for feeding and longer more mature heather for shelter and protection from predators. Mostly these habitats are managed and maintained for agricultural and sporting purposes.

However, recent changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have greatly affected the profitability of hill sheep farming leading to a reduction in the intensity of moorland management for agricultural purposes. In addition, as grouse shooting has also become less profitable, a reduction in heather management and predator control may also affect hare numbers. Indeed, the high population densities seen in British mountain hares, mostly found on grouse moors, compared to their continental cousins, are partly thought to be a result of moorland management for red grouse.

As well as being important prey for golden eagles, mountain hares are currently a quarry species. They are also culled for pest control, including controlling ticks as they carry a disease called ‘louping ill’, which affects certain wildlife populations.

Julie Ewald explains, “As the mountain hare is culled for a variety of reasons it is very important that we establish the present level of culling. We therefore need to know the current distribution of mountain hares in Scotland and the extent to which they are shot for sport or controlled as pests.”

Rob Raynor, Policy and Advice Officer with Scottish Natural Heritage, confirmed; “The mountain hare is an iconic species which is highly specialised to deal with its environment. Almost all of the British population is centred in Scotland and it is therefore very important that we have reliable information on the distribution and level of take of hares, so that they can be managed sustainably in the future. This survey should improve our understanding of the issues.”

Once the survey forms have been returned in August 2007, The Game Conservancy Trust, The Macaulay Institute and SNH will analyse the results and publish a comprehensive peer-reviewed report to ensure that future decisions on the management of mountain hares are based on science and not conjecture. All people returning completed survey forms will receive a newsletter summarising the results in spring 2008.

The Game Conservancy Trust is currently distributing maps and survey forms to its Scottish members as well as members of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association. To ensure that the survey is as comprehensive as possible the Trust is keen to enlist the support of other groups such as hill walkers, land managers or conservation groups such as the National Trust and the RSPB. To obtain copies of the survey forms, questionnaires and maps, please either visit the Trust’s website: www.gct.org.uk or contact The Mountain Hare Survey Team, The Game Conservancy Trust, telephone: 01425 652381.

As an added incentive to return survey forms by 3rd August the Trust is offering two exciting raffle prizes including either an original watercolour study of a mountain hare, kindly donated by well-known wildlife artist Ashley Boon or two bottles of 10 year old Famous Grouse Malt provided by Edrington Group, owners of The Famous Grouse.
Notes to editors:

The Game Conservancy Trust is an independent wildlife conservation charity which carries out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats and we lobby for agricultural and conservation policies based on science. We employ 14 post-doctoral scientists and 50 other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies.

The Trust is also responsible for a number of Government Biodiversity Action Plan species and is lead partner for grey partridge and joint lead partner for brown hare and black grouse.
*Together we can reverse the decline in our native game and wildlife species. Become a member today and you can help conserve the countryside for generations to come. Your membership subscription will help fund our vital game and wildlife conservation research. Join online at www.gct.org.uk*
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