Berentsen Are R, Dunbar Mike R, Becker Matthew S, M'soka Jassiel, Droge Egil, Sakuya Nicholas M, Matandiko Wigganson, McRobb Rachel, Hanlon Cathleen A
1 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center , Fort Collins, Colorado.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2013 Sep;13(9):643-9. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2012.1233. Epub 2013 Jun 27.
Disease transmission within and among wild and domestic carnivores can have significant impacts on populations, particularly for threatened and endangered species. We used serology to evaluate potential exposure to rabies virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) for populations of African lions (Panthera leo), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) and Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP) as well as community lands bordering these areas. In addition, domestic dogs in the study region were evaluated for exposure to CDV and rabies. We provide the first comprehensive disease exposure data for these species in these ecosystems. Twenty-one lions, 20 hyenas, 13 wild dogs, and 38 domestic dogs were sampled across both regions from 2009 to 2011. Laboratory results show 10.5% of domestic dogs, 5.0% of hyenas, and 7.7% of wild dogs sampled were positive for CDV exposure. All lions were negative. Exposure to CPV was 10.0% and 4.8% for hyenas and lions, respectively. All wild dogs were negative, and domestic dogs were not tested due to insufficient serum samples. All species sampled were negative for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies except lions. Forty percent of lions tested positive for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies. Because these lions appeared clinically healthy, this finding is consistent with seroconversion following exposure to rabies antigen. To our knowledge, this finding represents the first ever documentation of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies consistent with rabies exposure that did not lead to clinical disease in free-ranging African lions from this region. With ever-increasing human pressure on these ecosystems, understanding disease transmission dynamics is essential for proper management and conservation of these carnivore species.
野生和家养食肉动物内部及相互之间的疾病传播会对种群产生重大影响，尤其是对受威胁和濒危物种。我们运用血清学方法，评估了赞比亚南卢安瓜国家公园（SLNP）、刘瓦平原国家公园（LPNP）以及与这些区域接壤的社区土地上的非洲狮（Panthera leo）、非洲野犬（Lycaon pictus）和斑鬣狗（Crocuta crocuta）种群接触狂犬病病毒、犬瘟热病毒（CDV）和犬细小病毒（CPV）的潜在情况。此外，还评估了研究区域内家养犬接触CDV和狂犬病的情况。我们提供了这些生态系统中这些物种的首份全面疾病接触数据。2009年至2011年期间，在两个区域共采集了21头狮子、20只鬣狗、13只野犬和38只家养犬的样本。实验室结果显示，所采集的家养犬中有10.5%、鬣狗中有5.0%、野犬中有7.7%的样本对CDV接触呈阳性。所有狮子均为阴性。鬣狗和狮子接触CPV的比例分别为10.0%和4.8%。所有野犬均为阴性，由于血清样本不足，未对家养犬进行检测。除狮子外，所有采样物种的狂犬病病毒中和抗体均为阴性。40%的狮子狂犬病病毒中和抗体检测呈阳性。由于这些狮子临床健康，这一发现与接触狂犬病抗原后的血清转化一致。据我们所知，这一发现首次记录了在该地区自由放养的非洲狮中，与狂犬病接触相符的狂犬病病毒中和抗体，且未导致临床疾病。随着人类对这些生态系统的压力不断增加，了解疾病传播动态对于妥善管理和保护这些食肉动物物种至关重要。
