Prevalence of antibodies against canine distemper virus and canine parvovirus among foxes and wolves from Spain

Viral diseases can influence the population dynamics of wild carnivores and can have effects on carnivore conservation. Hence, a serologic survey was conducted in an opportunistic sample of 137 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 37 wolves (Canis lupus) in Spain for 1997–2007 to detect antibodies against cani...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary Microbiology
Main Authors: Sobrino, Raquel, Arnal, Maria Cruz, Luco, Daniel F., Gortázar, Christian
Other Authors: Principado de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (España), CSIC-UCLM - Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (España)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2008
Subjects:
Canis lupus
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/283498
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.06.014
https://doi.org/10.13039/100011941
https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003339
Description
Summary:Viral diseases can influence the population dynamics of wild carnivores and can have effects on carnivore conservation. Hence, a serologic survey was conducted in an opportunistic sample of 137 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 37 wolves (Canis lupus) in Spain for 1997–2007 to detect antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) and against canine parvovirus (CPV) by indirect ELISA. Antibodies against CDV were detected in 18.7% of the analyzed animals and antibodies against CPV in 17.2%. There was no difference in antibody prevalence to CDV between both species, even in the same region (P > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in antibody prevalence to CPV between foxes (5.1%) and wolves (62.2%) (P < 0.05). In fox populations there was a significant difference in antibody prevalence to CDV between geographic areas (Aragón 26.4%, La Mancha 7.8%, P < 0.05). In wolf populations there was significantly higher antibody prevalence against CPV (P < 0.05) in Castilla y León (100%) than in the Cantabric region (53.3%). There was no significant sex or age-related difference in the antibody prevalence against CDV or CPV in foxes. These results indicate that contact with CDV is widespread among wild canid populations in Spain and that CPV is endemic in the Iberian wolf population. The implications of these results are briefly discussed. This is a contribution to the agreement between IREC, SDGSA-MAPA and OAPN-MMA, and to the agreement between CSIC and Principado de Asturias. RS Acknowledges a grant from Castilla-La Mancha. Peer reviewed

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