A qualitative evaluation of wildlife disease surveillance systems for Rabies and Canine Distemper virus disease in Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis)

Abstract

Ethiopia is home to a variety of species of wild animals. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the Ethiopian wolf is considered an "Endangered" species. Rabies and Canine Distemper (CDV) were cited as a threat to Ethiopian wolves. The consecutive outbreaks of these diseases have drawn attention to the critical situation of the wolf population. Various population management strategies, including regular monitoring and surveillance, should be applied to ensure early detection. Effective surveillance systems can assist in early disease detection and response, however, to ensure that the surveillance systems are suitable for attaining the ultimate benefits, regular and relevant evaluations of the system are important. However, there is no evidence of regular evaluations of the Ethiopian wolf disease surveillance system’s performance. Therefore, this study evaluated the current system for monitoring Rabies and CDV infections in Ethiopian wolves. The CDC guidelines for assessing public health surveillance systems along with supplementary attributes related to the performance of the system were adapted and used in this study. Three national wildlife veterinarians and five wildlife monitoring experts were identified and recruited for the survey. An assessment of the communication and reporting system showed that monitors used both manual and digital technology to record and organize data. Threats like disease incidents were communicated to the national veterinary unit and to the protected area management, which included the chief warden, wardens, and chief scout. Surveillance data analysis was conducted randomly and most of the respondents claimed that the central database containing all the disease information about the wolf was not accessible to the national wildlife veterinarians. Hence, data sharing and collaborative analysis were compromised. Acceptability was measured by the level of participation and active engagement, 90% of the participants were actively engaged in the system. All participants agreed that the surveillance system survey tools and formats were easily adaptable to incorporate new variables for evaluating additional health threats when necessary. The surveillance system monitored all wolf populations regardless of age, pack size, sex, and population status. The study found that attributes like timeliness, stability, and completeness were ranked ‘unsatisfactory’ by the respondents while the other attributes ranked fit for the standard. This showed that the current surveillance system was running well there are important components to consider for upgrading the output and to increase its performance to the required standard.