SURVEILLANCE FOR VIRAL AND PARASITIC PATHOGENS IN A VULNERABLE AFRICAN LION (PANTHERA LEO) POPULATION IN THE NORTHERN TULI GAME RESERVE, BOTSWANA.
African lion ( Panthera leo ) numbers are decreasing rapidly and populations are becoming smaller and more fragmented. Infectious diseases are one of numerous issues threatening free-ranging lion populations, and low-density populations are particularly at risk. We collected data on the prevalence and diversity of viral and parasitic pathogens in a small lion population in eastern Botswana. During 2012 and 2014, blood samples were collected from 59% (n=13) of the adult-subadult lions in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in eastern Botswana. One lion had antibodies to feline panleukopenia virus, two had antibodies to canine distemper virus, and two had feline calicivirus antibodies. Ten of the 13 had antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus and 11 had feline herpesvirus antibodies. All lions were negative for antibodies to feline coronavirus. Blood samples from all lions were negative for Trypanosoma, Anaplasma, Theileria, and Ehrlichia spp. by molecular testing; however, all lions were positive for Babesia spp. by reverse line blot hybridization assay. Sequencing of amplicons from four lions revealed four groups of Babesia spp. including several genetic variants of Babesia felis , Babesia lengau, and Babesia canis and a group of novel Babesia sequences which were only 96% similar to other Babesia spp. Six lions were infested with four species of ticks (Rhipicentor nuttalli, Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus sulcatus, and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus). These data provide the first health assessment of this population and can be used to identify management and conservation strategies to decrease the impact of pathogens on this population. This is particularly important as there is an initiative to incorporate this population into a larger metapopulation of lions from adjacent South Africa and Zimbabwe.
1   Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.|2   Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
Kimberly R
KR
McDermid
3   School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA.
Andrei
A
Snyman
4   Veterinary and Agricultural Consultants, PO Box 201028, Gaborone, Botswana.
Frederick J
FJ
Verreynne
3   School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA.
John P
JP
Carroll
5   Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Banie L
BL
Penzhorn
1   Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.|2   Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
Michael J
MJ
Yabsley
D000818:Animals; D001902:Botswana; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline; D008045:Lions / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D013019:South Africa
African lion; Babesia spp.; Botswana; DNA sequencing; Panthera leo; pathogen; reverse line blot hybridization assay; serology