title: Serosurvey for Selected Viral Pathogens among Sympatric Species of the African Large Predator Guild in Northern Botswana.
abstract: The recent increase in the creation of transboundary protected areas and wildlife corridors between them lends importance to information on pathogen prevalence and transmission among wildlife species that will become connected. One such initiative is the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area of which Botswana's Okavango Delta constitutes a major contribution for wildlife and ecosystems. Between 2008 and 2011, we collected serum samples from 14 lions ( Panthera leo ), four leopards ( Panthera pardus ), 19 spotted hyenas ( Crocuta crocuta ), and six cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) in the Okavango. Samples were tested for antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV), feline panleukopenia virus, enteric coronavirus, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Evidence of exposure to all of these pathogens was found, to varying degrees, in at least one of the species sampled. High antibody prevalence (>90%) was only found to FHV-1 and FIV in lions. Only hyenas (26%, 5/19) were positive for CDV antibody. Except for one case, all individuals displayed physical conditions consistent with normal health for ≥12 mo following sampling. Our results emphasize the need for a comprehensive, multispecies approach to disease monitoring and the development of coordinated management strategies for subpopulations likely to be connected in transboundary initiatives.
authors.affiliation: 1 Wildlife Consultant LLC, 4th Street, Falaj Hazaa, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.|2 Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Boulevard de Colonster, 42, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne-Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chaber
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Zurich University, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.|4 Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.affiliation: 5 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK.
authors.forename: Femke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Broekhuis
authors.affiliation: 6 Wildlife ACT, Private Bag 114, Maun, Botswana.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.affiliation: 4 Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: W McNutt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001902:Botswana; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine; D045968:Hyaenidae / Q000821:virology*; D017969:Lentiviruses, Feline; D008045:Lions / Q000821:virology*; D061350:Sympatry
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Carnivores; Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area; Okavango Delta; conservation and management; pathogen prevalence; transboundary wildlife areas