Survey of sarcoptic mange of wildlife in Victoria |
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in participating in this research project. The following will provide you with information about the project, so that you can decide if you would like to take part in this research.
Please take the time to read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or want to know more about.
Your participation is voluntary. If you don’t wish to take part, you don’t have to. If you begin participating, you can also stop at any time.
What is this research about?
We are undertaking an online survey of people who observe wildlife to ask about sarcoptic mange in wildlife in Victoria. Sarcoptic mange is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and has been recognized as an emerging infectious disease of Australian wildlife. Mites cause dermatitis or skin disease in wombats, koalas, foxes, dogs and occasionally people in Victoria. Our purpose is to better understand the importance of sarcoptic mange in wildlife in Victoria by asking people who observe wildlife: Who? (species affected), Where? When? What? and Why? Improved understanding of the scope and scale of sarcoptic mange may lead to the development of management strategies for this disease.
What will I be asked to do?
Should you agree to participate you will be asked to complete a series of questions about wildlife:
· Who: the wildlife species you have observed with skin changes that may be sarcoptic mange, approximate number, and possible changes in the numbers of wildlife
· Where: categories of land management, postcode location
· When: by year groups, season
· What: clinical signs were observed in wildlife with suspect mange
· Why: Were wildlife tested or examined for mites and how?
· If you have a lot of data about wildlife mange, you will have an opportunity of uploading it, or sending it by email, but we will ask you to first remove personal identifying data such as names, addresses, contact details.
· And yourself, for general information about participants (background category – farmer etc. age group, sex),
We hope the survey will take less than 20 minutes if you report on only one wildlife species, we estimate 30 minutes if you report on two species.
What are the possible benefits?
Possible benefits include a better understanding of how important mange in wildlife is. This information may be useful to develop wildlife health management strategies for sarcoptic mange. This survey will update a 1998 survey of mange in wombats to include other wildlife species, where mange occurs, and information about how mange has spread.
What are the possible risks?
Wildlife health management is difficult at a population level and sarcoptic mange in wildlife is a complex disease involving several species in different ecosystems, extending into several states. We are not aware of risks of participating in the survey, but we don’t want to give false expectations of easily managing this disease that infects several species (multi-host) and mites can persist in the environment.
Risks associated with participating in the online survey have been minimized by avoiding your personal information such as name, address, email or phone number. If you have a lot of data about wildlife mange, you will have an opportunity of uploading it, or sending it by email, but we will ask you to first remove personal identifying data such as names, addresses, contact details. Photo images of wildlife may be sent and include location data for the wildlife. The information from this survey will be analysed and used to create a report for wildlife management agencies and publication in a scientific journal. The information will be held indefinitely as the survey could be expanded in the future to include other states etc. Data will only be used for the purposes of this survey or of Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance, see below.
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is completely voluntary. You are able to withdraw at any time. There are no implications of withdrawal from completing the Survey on mange in wildlife in Victoria. If you wish to withdraw any data already collected, please contact Pam Whiteley by email or telephone and your data will be removed from the survey.
Will I hear about the results of this project?
Results of this project will be provided during regular talks with community groups (Field Naturalists, Landcare groups, Birdlife Australia, Wildlife Carers, Vet Practitioners etc) and staff of Environment and Agriculture departments and Parks Victoria by Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance. A report may be provided for publication in a scientific journal, governmental stakeholders and Wildlife Heatlh Australia (funded by Australian Dept Agriculture and state/territory Agriculture departments).
What will happen to information about me?
We are not collecting information about participants (except background category e.g. farmer, age group, sex).
The data provided from the survey about wildlife may be used for wildlife health management in the future but does not include identifiers that link it to participants. Access to this data will be by controlled on password-protected university-owned computers by the researchers listed above and Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance at the Melbourne Veterinary School.
Who is funding this project?
This survey is funded by Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance (WHV: S) at the Melbourne Veterinary School. Wildlife health can affect biodiversity, domestic animal and human health and the objectives of WHV: S are: to understand baseline wildlife health patterns, detect and investigate changed patterns, and investigate wildlife reservoirs of zoonotic disease. WHV: S is funded by the Hazel and Arthur Bruce Bequest ($20,000 for 2018-9), The Vizard Foundation ($5,000 2018), and Donors.
Where can I get further information?
If you would like more information about the project, please contact the researchers;
Ms Pam L Whiteley Tel: +61 400119301 Email: pamw@unimelb.edu.au , or Dr Anke Wiethoelter anke.wiethoelter@unimelb.edu.au
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
This research project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of The University of Melbourne. If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project (Ethics ID no. 1953816.1), which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you should contact the Manager, Human Research Ethics, Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. Tel: +61 3 8344 2073 or Email: HumanEthics-complaints@unimelb.edu.au. All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence please provide the name of the research team or the name or ethics ID number of the research project.
By agreeing to complete and submit this survey,
1. I consent to participate in this project, the details of which have been explained to me, and I have been provided with a written plain language statement electronically. I am 18 years or older.
2. I understand that the purpose of this research is to investigate, by online survey, sarcoptic mange in wildlife in Victoria, the species affected, when mange was observed, clinical signs, how it was diagnosed, etc.
3. I understand that my participation in this project is for research purposes only.
4. I acknowledge that the possible effects of participating in this research project have been explained to my satisfaction.
5. In this project I will be required to answer online survey questions about who (wildlife species), where, when, what and why. There is also an opportunity to upload photos of wildlife or if you have a lot of records, you can upload this data but will be asked to first remove personal identifying data such as names, addresses, contact details etc.
6. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw from this project anytime without explanation or prejudice and to withdraw any unprocessed data that I have provided.
7. I understand that the data from this research will be stored at the University of Melbourne indefinitely on password-protected university-owned computers.
8. I have been informed that the confidentiality of the information I provide will be safeguarded subject to any legal requirements; my data will be password protected and accessible only by the named researchers.
9. I understand that after I complete and submit this survey, this consent form will be retained by the researcher.