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Seroprevalence of pathogens in domestic carnivores on the border of Madidi National Park, Bolivia
Author(s) -
Fiorello Christine V.,
Deem Sharon L.,
Gompper Matthew E.,
Dubovi Edward J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
animal conservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.111
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1469-1795
pISSN - 1367-9430
DOI - 10.1017/s1367943003001197
Subject(s) - canine distemper , carnivore , feline calicivirus , sarcoptes scabiei , outbreak , seroprevalence , wildlife , biology , population , threatened species , veterinary medicine , ecology , predation , virology , environmental health , virus , habitat , medicine , immunology , serology , antibody , mite
The importance of diseases of domestic animals in the conservation of wildlife is increasingly being recognised. Wild carnivores are susceptible to many of the pathogens carried by domestic dogs and cats and some of these pathogens have caused disease outbreaks and severe population declines in threatened species. The risk of disease spillover from domestic to wild carnivores in South America has not been extensively investigated. This study examined the disease exposure of domestic carnivores living near a protected area in Bolivia. Forty dogs and 14 cats living in three towns on the eastern border of Madidi National Park were sampled. High levels of exposure to canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, Sarcoptes scabiei and Toxoplasma gondii were found among domestic dogs, with similarly high levels of exposure to feline parvovirus, feline calicivirus and T. gondii being found among domestic cats. If contact occurs between domestic and wild carnivores, disease spillover may represent an important risk for the persistence of wild carnivores in the region. Additional research is therefore necessary to determine if wild carnivores living in proximity to these domestic carnivore populations are being exposed to these pathogens.