Seroepidemiological survey of sympatric domestic and wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Tsumkwe District, north-eastern Namibia

Abstract

Disease is a potential threat to many endangered populations and may originate from sympatric domestic species. This paper describes a cross-sectional serological survey of canine pathogens carried out in domestic (n = 70) and wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) (n = 6), in Tsumkwe District, northeastern Namibia. Evidence of past exposure to canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and parainfluenza virus was evident in both wild and domestic dogs with this, the first, documented exposure of free-living wild dogs to canine distemper. Domestic dogs were also exposed to rabies virus, canine parvovirus and coronavirus. There was no pathogen to which wild dogs, but not domestic dogs, were exposed. With wild dogs known to be susceptible to rabies and canine distemper, these may be the greatest threat to this population of wild dogs, although some wild dogs can clearly survive infection with canine distemper.