title: Phylogenetic evidence of canine distemper virus in Serengeti's lions.
abstract: Recently an epizootic, reported to be due to a morbillivirus infection, affected the lion population of the Tanzanian Serengeti National Park. A morbillivirus phosphoprotein (P) gene fragment was amplified by PCR from tissue samples of several affected lions. Sequencing of the amplificates and subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed that a wild-type strain of canine distemper morbillivirus (CDV) was involved. Vaccination of the local domestic dog population with proven safe CDV vaccines is proposed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004216:Distemper / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D008045:Lions / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018103:Morbillivirus / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013636:Tanzania