Abstract
Disease can cause declines in wildlife populations and significantly threaten their survival. Recent expansion of human and domestic animal populations has made wildlife more susceptible to transmission of pathogens from domestic animal hosts. We conducted a pathogen surveillance and mortality survey for the population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, from January 2006–February 2007. Samples were obtained from 24 wild dogs for canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) serological testing. Data were collected on the presence of CDV, CPV, and rabies virus in the KZN domestic dog (Canis familiaris) population from 2004–06. The presence of these pathogens was confirmed in domestic dogs throughout KZN. Wild dogs exhibited 0% and 4.2% prevalence for CDV and CPV antibodies, respectively. In 2006 the largest wild dog pack in KZN was reduced from 26 individuals to a single animal; disease due to rabies virus was considered the most probable cause. This study provides evidence that CDV, CPV and rabies are potential threats to African wild dog conservation in KZN. The most economical and practical way to protect wild dogs from canine pathogens may be via vaccination of sympatric domestic dogs; however, such programmes are currently limited.
Highlights
The impacts of infectious disease on wildlife populations and the importance of disease surveillance for endangered species conservation and management programmes have been repeatedly demonstrated [1,2,3,4,5]
One (1) of the 24 wild dogs exhibited a positive titre for canine parvovirus (CPV), representing 4.17% seroprevalence
The loss of 53 African wild dogs in a single year from a population of only around 70 individuals is clearly unsustainable and is markedly higher than mortality rates reported for other African wild dog populations [24, 44,45,46]
Summary
The impacts of infectious disease on wildlife populations and the importance of disease surveillance for endangered species conservation and management programmes have been repeatedly demonstrated [1,2,3,4,5]. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) African Wild Dog Reintroduction and Conservation Programme, in the South African province of KwaZuluNatal, has incorporated infectious pathogen and disease surveillance as one of many components within their longterm population monitoring strategy. The total number of free-ranging African wild dogs is estimated at less than 8000 individuals, surviving in only 14 of their original 39 range countries [6,7,8,9]. In South Africa, the number of individuals is estimated to be only 300–400 [6, 7, 10], and Kruger National Park currently contains the largest population with nearly half of the country’s African wild dogs living within its boundaries.
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