Open AccessRabies as a threat to wildlife
Author(s) -
Margot Stuchin,
Catherine Machalaba,
Kevin J. Olival,
Marc Artois,
Roy G. Bengis,
Pablo Cáceres,
F Diaz,
E Erlacher-Vindel,
Simona Forcella,
Frederick A. Leighton,
Kouhei Murata,
Maja Popović,
Paolo Tizzani,
Gregorio Torres,
William B. Karesh
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
revista científica y técnica - oficina internacional de epizootias/scientific and technical review - international office of epizootics/revue scientifique et technique - office international des épizooties
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.292
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1608-0637
pISSN - 0253-1933
DOI - 10.20506/rst.37.2.2858
Subject(s) - rabies , wildlife , rabies virus , population , vaccination , biology , wildlife disease , veterinary medicine , transmission (telecommunications) , zoology , geography , virology , environmental health , ecology , medicine , electrical engineering , engineering
The impact of infectious disease may become progressively more harmful to a species' survival as a wild population approaches an 'extinction vortex'. This risk is especially relevant for pathogens that spread rapidly and result in high mortality rates. Rabies, a virus that infects many mammalian species, can be efficiently transmitted through infected saliva, and is fatal without prior vaccination or rapid post-exposure prophylaxis (in humans). The authors conducted an extensive literature review to identify all wild mammal species reported to have been infected with rabies virus. They found reports of infection in 190 mammalian species, including 16 with elevated risk of extinction and two for which rabies is a direct conservation threat: the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) and the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). This paper discusses selected examples in which rabies has contributed to the population decline of a species of conservation concern. In addition, the authors note the importance of the transmission of rabies virus (RABV) from domestic dogs to wildlife, and the many challenges associated with the vaccination of wild animals. With this in mind, they present potential solutions to reduce the burden of rabies on wildlife. Once stable control of RABV is achieved in domestic dogs, remaining rabies threats to wildlife conservation can be addressed more effectively.