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1 January 2017 Serosurvey for Selected Viral Pathogens among Sympatric Species of the African Large Predator Guild in Northern Botswana
Anne-Lise Chaber, Gabriele Cozzi, Femke Broekhuis, Robyn Hartley, John W. McNutt
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Abstract

The recent increase in the creation of transboundary protected areas and wildlife corridors between them lends importance to information on pathogen prevalence and transmission among wildlife species that will become connected. One such initiative is the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area of which Botswana's Okavango Delta constitutes a major contribution for wildlife and ecosystems. Between 2008 and 2011, we collected serum samples from 14 lions (Panthera leo), four leopards (Panthera pardus), 19 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), and six cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the Okavango. Samples were tested for antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV), feline panleukopenia virus, enteric coronavirus, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Evidence of exposure to all of these pathogens was found, to varying degrees, in at least one of the species sampled. High antibody prevalence (>90%) was only found to FHV-1 and FIV in lions. Only hyenas (26%, 5/19) were positive for CDV antibody. Except for one case, all individuals displayed physical conditions consistent with normal health for ≥12 mo following sampling. Our results emphasize the need for a comprehensive, multispecies approach to disease monitoring and the development of coordinated management strategies for subpopulations likely to be connected in transboundary initiatives.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2017
Anne-Lise Chaber, Gabriele Cozzi, Femke Broekhuis, Robyn Hartley, and John W. McNutt "Serosurvey for Selected Viral Pathogens among Sympatric Species of the African Large Predator Guild in Northern Botswana," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 53(1), 170-175, (1 January 2017). https://doi.org/10.7589/2015-11-302
Received: 6 November 2015; Accepted: 1 May 2016; Published: 1 January 2017
KEYWORDS
carnivores
conservation and management
Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area
Okavango Delta
pathogen prevalence
transboundary wildlife areas
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