EPIDEMICS AMONG SLEDGE DOGS IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC AND THEIR RELATION TO DISEASE IN THE ARCTIC FOX

An enquiry was made by the Hudson's Bay Company into the origin and spread of a serious disease resembling epidemic encephalitis of silver foxes which periodically destroys large numbers of sledge dogs in the arctic and subarctic regions of Canada. A similar disease occurs in the arctic fox, an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Research
Main Author: Elton, Charles
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1931
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjr31-106
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjr31-106
Description
Summary:An enquiry was made by the Hudson's Bay Company into the origin and spread of a serious disease resembling epidemic encephalitis of silver foxes which periodically destroys large numbers of sledge dogs in the arctic and subarctic regions of Canada. A similar disease occurs in the arctic fox, and is associated with an important four-year cycle in the numbers of the fox, which may thus form a permanent reservoir for the disease organism, or organisms. General forecasting of this fox cycle is possible, and is dependent on knowledge of the lemming cycle in the arctic, and associated climatic phenomena.