Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2006 Feb 28;7(1):45–54. doi: 10.1017/S1367943003001197

Seroprevalence of pathogens in domestic carnivores on the border of Madidi National Park, Bolivia

Christine V Fiorello 1,2,‡,✉, Sharon L Deem 2,§, Matthew E Gompper 3, Edward J Dubovi 4
PMCID: PMC7159408  PMID: 32313442

Abstract

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.

REFERENCES

  1. Alexander, K. A. & Appel, M. J. G. (1994). African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) endangered by a canine distemper epizootic among domestic dogs near the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. J. Wildl. Dis. 30: 481–485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson, R. C. (2001). Filarioid nematodes. In: Parasitic diseases of wild mammals: 2nd edn Samuel W. M., Pybus M. J. & Kocan A. A. (Eds). Ames : Iowa State University Press. [Google Scholar]
  3. Appel, M. J. G. , Yates, R. A. , Foley, G. L. , Bernstein, J. J. , Santinelli, S. , Spelman, L. H. , Miller, L. D. , Arp, L. H. , Anderson, M. , Barr, M. , Pearce‐Kelling, S. & Summers, B. A. (1994). Canine distemper epizootic in lions, tigers, and leopards in North America. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 6: 277–288. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Arlian, L. G. , Morgan, M. S. , Rapp, C. M. & Vyszenski‐Moher, D. L. (1996). The development of protective immunity in canine scabies. Vet. Parasit. 62: 133–142. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Barr, M. C. (1996). FIV, FeLV, and FIPV: interpretation and misinterpretation of serological test results. Semin Vet. Med. Surg. 11: 144–153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brandling‐Bennett, A. D. & Pinheiro, F. (1996). Infectious diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean: are they really emerging and increasing Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2: 59–61. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brown, E. W. , Miththapala, S. & O'Brien, S. J. (1993). Prevalence of exposure to feline immunodeficiency virus in exotic felid species. J. Zoo. Wildl. Med. 24: 357–364. [Google Scholar]
  8. Cannon, R. M. & Roe, R. T. (1982). Livestock disease surveys: a field manual for veterinarians. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service. [Google Scholar]
  9. Carpenter, M. A. & O'Brien, S. J. (1995). Coadaptation and immunodeficiency virus: lessons from the Felidae. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 5: 739–745. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Chang, H. H. , Eidson, M. , Noonan‐Toly, C. , Trimarchi, C. V. , Rudd, R. , Wallace, B. J. , Smith, P. F. & Morse, D. L. (2002). Public health impact of reemergence of rabies, New York. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 8: 909–913. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Christensen, J. & Gardner, I. A. (2000). Herd‐level interpretation of test results for epidemiologic studies of animal diseases. Prev. Vet. Med. 45: 83–106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Cleaveland, S. , Appel, M. J. , Chalmers, W. S. K. , Chillingworth, C. , Kaare, M. & Dye, C. (2000). Serological and demographic evidence for domestic dogs as a source of canine distemper virus infection for Serengeti wildlife. Vet. Microbiol. 72: 217–227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Cleaveland, S. & Dye, C. (1995). Maintenance of a microparasite infecting multiple host species: rabies in the Serengeti. Parasitology 111 (Supplement S): S33–47. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Cleaveland, S. , Laurenson, M. K. & Taylor, L. H. (2001). Diseases of humans and their domestic mammals: pathogen characterisitics, host range, and the risk of emergence. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Ser. B 356: 991–999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Courtenay, O. , Quinnell, R. J. & Chalmers, W. S. K. (2001). Contact rates between wild and domestic canids: no evidence of parvovirus or canine distemper virus in crab‐eating foxes. Vet. Microbiol. 81: 9–19. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Cubas, Z. S. (1996). Special challenges of maintaining wild animals in captivity in South America. Rev. Sci. Tech. OIE 15: 267–287. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Daszak, P. , Cunningham, A. A. & Hyatt, A. D. (2000). Emerging infectious diseases of wildlife threats to biodiversity and human health. Science 287: 443–449. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Daszak, P. , Cunningham, A. A. & Hyatt, A. D. (2001). Anthropogenic environmental change and the emergence of infectious diseases in wildlife. Acta Trop. 78: 103–116. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Deem, S. L. , Kilbourn, A. , Wolfe, N. D. , Cook, R. A. & Karesh, W. B. (2001). Conservation medicine. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 916: 370–377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Deem, S. L. , Noss, A. J. , Cuéllar, R. L. , Villarroel, R. , Linn, M. J. & Forrester, D. J. (2002). Sarcoptic mange in free‐ranging pampas foxes in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia. J. Wildl. Dis. 38: 625–628. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Evermann, J. F. , Foreyt, W. , Maag‐Miller, L. , Leathers, C. W. , McKeirnan, A. J. & LeaMaster, B. (1980). Acute hemorrhagic enteritis associated with canine coronavirus and parvovirus infections in a captive coyote population. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 177: 784–786. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Evermann, J. F. & Eriks, I. S. (1999). Diagnostic medicine: the challenge of differentiating infection from disease and making sense for the veterinary clinician. Adv. Vet. Med. 41: 25–38. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Funk, S. M. , Fiorello, C. V. , Cleaveland, S. & Gompper, M. E. (2001). The role of disease in carnivore ecology and conservation. In: Carnivore Conservation: 443–466. Gittleman J. L., Funk S., Wayne B. W. & Macdonald D. W. (Eds). Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
  24. Gascoyne, S. C. , Laurenson, M. K. , Lelo, S. & Borner, M. (1993). Rabies in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in the Serengeti region, Tanzania. J. Wildl. Dis. 29: 396–402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Gaskell, R. & Dawson, S. (1998). Feline respiratory disease. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 97–106. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  26. Ginsberg, J. R. , Mace, G. M. & Albon, S. (1995). Local extinction in a small and declining population: wild dogs in the Serengeti. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. 262: 221–228. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Goodwin, J. (1998). The serologic diagnosis of heartworm infection in dogs and cats. Clin. Tech. Small Anim. Prac. 13: 83–87. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Gottelli, D. & Sillero‐Zubiri, C. (1992). The Ethiopian wolf ‐ an endangered endemic canid. Oryx 26: 205–214. [Google Scholar]
  29. Greene, C. E. (1998a). Feline panleukopenia. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 52–58. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  30. Greene, C. E. (1998b). Immunoprophylaxis and Immunotherapy. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 717–751. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  31. Greene C. E. (Ed.) (1998c). Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat, 2nd edn Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  32. Greene, C. E. & Appel, M. J. (1998). Canine distemper. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 9–22. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  33. Greene, C. E. , Miller, M. A. & Brown, C. A. (1998). Leptospirosis. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 273–282. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  34. Greiner, M. & Gardner, I. A. (2000a). Epidemiologic issues in the validation of veterinary diagnostic tests. Prev. Vet. Med. 45: 3–22. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Greiner, M. & Gardner, I. A. (2000b). Application of diagnostic tests in veterinary epidemiologic studies. Prev. Vet. Med. 45: 43–59. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Holzman, S. , Conroy, M. J. & Davidson, W. R. (1992). Diseases, parasites, and survival of coyotes in south‐central Georgia. J. Wildl. Dis. 28: 572–580. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Hoskins, J. D. (1998). Canine viral enteritis. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat: 40–45. 2nd edn. Greene C. E. (Ed.). Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. [Google Scholar]
  38. Jessup, D. A. , Pettan, K. C. , Lowenstine, L. J. & Pedersen, N. C. (1993). Feline leukemia virus infection and renal spirochetosis in a free‐ranging courgar. J. Zoo Wildl. Med. 24: 73–79. [Google Scholar]
  39. Johnson, M. R. , Boyd, D. K. & Pletscher, D. H. (1994). Serologic investigations of canine parvovirus and canine distemper in relation to wolf (Canis lupus) pup mortalities. J. Wildl. Dis. 30: 270–273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Kadoi, K. , Kiryu, M. , Iwabuchi, H. , Kamatia, H. , Yukawa, M. & Inaba, Y. (1997). A strain of calicivirus isolated from lions with vesicular lesions on tongue and snout. New Microbiol. 20: 141–148. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Kennedy, S. , Kuiken, T. , Jepson, P. D. , Deaville, R. , Forsyth, M. , Barrett, T. , van de Bildt, M. W. G. , Osterhaus, A. D. M. E. , Eybatov, T. , Duck, C. , Kydyrmanov, A. , Mitrofanov, I. & Wilson, S. (2000). Mass die‐off of Caspian seals caused by canine distemper virus. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 6: 1–4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Laurance, W. F. , Vasconcelos, H. L. & Lovejoy, T. E. (2000). Forest loss and fragmentation in the Amazon: implications for wildlife conservation. Oryx 34: 39–45. [Google Scholar]
  43. Laurenson, K. , Sillero‐Zubiri, C. , Thompson, H. , Shiferaw, F. , Thirgood, S. & Malcolm, J. (1998). Disease as a threat to endangered species: Ethiopian wolves, domestic dogs, and canine pathogens. Anim. Conserv. 1: 273–280. [Google Scholar]
  44. Lindström, E. R. , Andrén, H. , Angelstam, P. , Cederlund, G. , Hörnfeldt, B. , Jäderberg, L. , Lemnell, P. , Martinsson, B. , Sköld, K. & Swenson, J. E. (1994). Disease reveals the predator: sarcoptic mange, red fox predation, and prey populations. Ecology 75: 1042–1049. [Google Scholar]
  45. Lower, K. , Medleau, L. M. , Hnilica, K. & Bigler, B. (2001). Evaluation of an ELISA for the serological diagnosis of sarcoptic mange in dogs. Vet. Dermatol. 12: 315–320. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Mainka, S. A. , Xianmeng, Q. , Tingmei, H. & Appel, M. J. (1994). Serologic survey of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and domestic dogs and cats in the Wolong Reserve, China. J. Wildl. Dis. 30: 86–89. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Mann, P. C. , Bush, M. , Appel, M. J. G. , Beehler, B. A. & Montali, R. J. (1980). Canine parvovirus infection in South American canids. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 177: 779–783. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Mech, L. D. & Goyal, S. M. (1993). Canine parvovirus effect on wolf population change and pup survival. J. Wildl. Dis. 29: 330–333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Miller, M. A. , Gardner, I. A. , Kreuder, C. , Paradies, D. M. , Worcester, K. R. , Jessup, D. A. , Dodd, E. , Harris, M. D. , Ames, J. A. , Packham, A. E. & Conrad, P. A. (2002). Coastal freshwater runoff is a risk factor for Toxoplasma gondii infection of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). Int. J. Parasitol. 32: 997–1006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Murray, D. L. , Kapke, C. A. , Evermann, J. F. & Fuller, T. K. (1999). Infectious disease and conservation of free‐ranging large carnivores. Anim. Conserv. 2: 241–254. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Nel, L. , Jacobs, J. , Jaftha, J. & Meredith, C. (1997). Natural spillover of a distinctly Canidae‐associated biotype of rabies virus into an expanded wildlife host range in southern Africa. Virus Genes 15: 79–82. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Okoniewski, J. C. & Stone, W. B. (1983). Causes of morbidity and mortality in coyotes in New York. New York Fish Game J. 30: 224–227. [Google Scholar]
  53. Olmsted, R. A. , Langley, R. , Roelke, M. E. , Goeken, R. M. , Adger‐Johnson, D. , Goff, J. P. , Albert, J. P. , Packer, C. , Laurenson, M. K. , Caro, T. M. , Scheepers, L. , Wildt, D. E. , Bush, M. , Martenson, J. S. & O'Brien, S. J. (1992). Worldwide prevalence of lentivirus infection in wild feline species: epidemiological and phylogenetic aspects. J. Virol. 66: 6008–6018. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Otto, G. F. (1974). Occurrence of the heartworm in unusual locations and in unusual hosts. Heartworm Symposium Proceedings: 6–13. [Google Scholar]
  55. Paul‐Murphy, J. , Work, T. , Hunter, D. , McFie, E. & Fjelline, D. (1994). Serologic survey and serum biochemical reference ranges of free‐ranging mountain lion in California. J. Wildl. Dis. 30: 205–215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Pedersen, N. C. , Elliot, J. B. , Glasgow, A. , Poland, A. & Keel, K. (2000). An isolated epizootic of hemorrhagic‐like fever in cats caused by a novel and highly virulent strain of feline calicivirus. Vet. Microbiol. 73: 281–300. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Pence, D. B. & Windberg, L. A. (1994). Impact of a sarcoptic mange epizootic on a coyote population. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 58: 624–663. [Google Scholar]
  58. Peterson, R. O. , Thomas, N. J. , Thurber, J. M. , Vucetich, J. A. & Waite, T. A. (1998). Population limitation and wolves of Isle Royale. J. Mammal. 79: 828–841. [Google Scholar]
  59. Pratelli, A. , Martella, V. , Elia, G. , Tempesta, M. , Guarda, R. , Capucchio, M. T. , Carmichael, L. E. & Buonavoglia, C. (2001). Severe enteric disease in an animal shelter associated with dual infections by canine adenovirus type 1 and canine coronavirus. J. Vet. Med. B. 48: 385–392. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Pratelli, A. , Tempesta, M. , Roperto, F. P. , Sagazio, P. , Carmichael, L. E. & Buonavoglia, C. (1999). Fatal coronavirus infection in puppies following canine parvovirus 2b infection. J. Vet. Diag. Invest. 11: 550–53. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  61. Ralston, S. L. , Stemme, K. & Guerrero, J. (1998). Preventing feline heartworm disease. Feline Pract. 26: 18–22. [Google Scholar]
  62. Roelke‐Parker, M. E. , Munson, L. , Packer, C. , Kock, R. , Cleaveland, S. , Carpenter, M. , O'Brien, S. J. , Pospischil, A. , Hofmann‐Lehmann, R. , Lutz, H. , Mwamengele, G. L. M. , Mgasa, M. N. , Machange, G. A. , Summers, B. A. & Appel, M. J. G. (1996). A canine distemper virus epidemic in Serengeti lions: Nature 379: 441–445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  63. Rupprecht, C. E. , Smith, J. S. , Fekadu, M. & Childs, J. E. (1995). The ascension of wildlife rabies: a cause for public health concern or intervention Emerg. Infect. Dis. 1: 107–114. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  64. Sabine, M. & Hyne, R. H. J. (1970). Isolation of a feline picornavirus from cheetahs with conjunctivitis and glossitis. Vet. Rec. 87: 794–796. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  65. Samuel, W. M. , Pybus, M. J. & Kocan, A. A. (2001). Parasitic diseases of wild mammals. 2nd edn Ames , IA : Iowa State University Press. [Google Scholar]
  66. Shibata, F. & Kawamichi, T. (1999). Decline of raccoon dog populations resulting from sarcoptic mange epizootics. Mammalia 63: 281–290. [Google Scholar]
  67. Sillero‐Zubiri, C. , King, A. A. & MacDonald, D. W. (1996). Rabies and mortality in Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis). J. Wildl. Dis. 32: 80–86. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  68. Skole, D. & Tucker, C. (1993). Tropical deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Amazon: satellite data from 1978 to 1988. Science 260: 1905–1910. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  69. Steinel, A. , Munson, L. , van Vuuren, M. & Truyen, U. (2000). Genetic characterization of feline parvovirus sequences from various carnivores. J. G en Virol. 81: 345–350. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  70. Tenter, A. M. , Heckeroth, A. R. & Weiss, L. M. (2000). Toxoplasma gondii: from animals to humans. Int. J. Parasitol. 30: 1217–1258. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  71. Thorne, E. T. & Williams, E. S. (1988). Disease and endangered species: the black‐footed ferret as a recent example. Conserv. Biol. 2: 66–74. [Google Scholar]
  72. Valenzuela, D. , Ceballos, G. & Garcia, A. (2000). Mange epizootic in white‐nosed coatis in western Mexico. J. Wildl. Dis. 36: 56–63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  73. WCS‐Bolivia (2002). Base de Datos de Mamiferos en el Paisaje. de las Andes Noroeste de Bolivia. Unpublished report. Wildlife Conservation Society‐Bolivia. [Google Scholar]
  74. Woodroffe, R. (1999). Managing disease threats to wild mammals. Anim. Conserv. 2: 185–93. [Google Scholar]
  75. Woods, L. W. (2001). Adenoviral diseases. In: Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals: 3rd edn Williams E. S. & Barker I. K. (Eds). Ames , IA : Iowa State University Press. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Animal Conservation are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES