The prevalence of canine distemper virus antibodies in wild carnivores in the Kruger National Park and Marakele Park

Abstract

A description is given of a prevalence study of canine distemper virus antibodies in large carnivores in the Kruger National Park and Marakele National Park in South Africa. The serum-virus neutralization test was used to determine the prevalence of antibodies in different carnivore species in Kruger National Park and Marakele National Park. The species tested included 198 lions, 33 hyenas, 23 wild dogs and a leopard. The results demonstrated a total of 69 (34.8%) positive sera from lions. Moreover, CDV neutralizing antibodies were present in 25 (75.8%) hyena sera, 18 (78.3%) wild dog sera and the serum of one leopard. The results demonstrate that canine distemper virus is present in the Kruger National Park and that removal of the fences between the Kruger National Park and other conservation areas may pose a risk for spreading infectious diseases to susceptible species. Further work would be required to determine the prevalence of CDV in neighbouring regions. Only then risks can be estimated. Copyright