Aspects of rabies infection and control in the conservation of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in the Serengeti region, Tanzania

Lycaon pictus is amongst the most endangered wildlife species in Africa. In 1990 rabies virus was isolated from the brain of an adult Lycaon found dead in the Serengeti region of Tanzania. One adult and six pups of the same pack feeding on the carcass showed clinical signs and rabies was suspected; within two days they had disappeared and are presumed to have died. Subsequently, two Lycaon packs in the Serengeti National Park were given inactivated rabies vaccine either by dart or by parenteral inoculation following anaesthesia. Lycaon sera which had been collected over the previous two years and sera collected pre- and post-vaccination were examined for the presence of rabies virus neutralizing antibody. Three of 12 unvaccinated Lycaon had antibody levels > 0,5IU/ml; post-vaccination samples from two Lycaon showed increased antibody levels. Between four and ten months post-vaccination, at least four of the vaccinated animals, had died from unknown causes. Issues relating to wildlife vaccination and veterinary intervention in conservation are discussed.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.Mr and Mrs Neil Silverman, USA. Frankfurt Zoological Society. Leverhulme Trust. Messerli Foundation.mn201

Reproductive strategies in wild female cheetas

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D062448 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Diseases of humans and their domestic mammals: pathogen characteristics, host range and the risk of emergence

Pathogens that can be transmitted between different host species are of fundamental interest and importance from public health, conservation and economic perspectives, yet systematic quantification of these pathogens is lacking. Here, pathogen characteristics, host range and risk factors determining disease emergence were analysed by constructing a database of disease–causing pathogens of humans and domestic mammals. The database consisted of 1415 pathogens causing disease in humans, 616 in livestock and 374 in domestic carnivores. Multihost pathogens were very prevalent among human pathogens (61.6%) and even more so among domestic mammal pathogens (livestock 77.3%, carnivores 90.0%). Pathogens able to infect human, domestic and wildlife hosts contained a similar proportion of disease–causing pathogens for all three host groups. One hundred and ninety–six pathogens were associated with emerging diseases, 175 in humans, 29 in livestock and 12 in domestic carnivores. Across all these groups, helminths and fungi were relatively unlikely to emerge whereas viruses, particularly RNA viruses, were highly likely to emerge. The ability of a pathogen to infect multiple hosts, particularly hosts in other taxonomic orders or wildlife, were also risk factors for emergence in human and livestock pathogens. There is clearly a need to understand the dynamics of infectious diseases in complex multihost communities in order to mitigate disease threats to public health, livestock economies and wildlife

Infectious canine hepatitis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the United Kingdom

The pathological findings are described in three cases of infectious canine hepatitis in free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in England. The foxes died after short periods of clinical illness. Mild jaundice and hepatic congestion were evident grossly. On histopathological examination, intranuclear inclusion bodies were visible in hepatocytes, in association with hepatocyte dissociation and necrosis, as well as in renal glomeruli, renal tubular epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells. Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) was isolated from all three foxes. in a serological study, antibodies to CAV-1 were detected in tissue fluid extracts taken from 11 of 58 (19 per cent) frozen red fox carcases from England and Scotlan

Do spotted hyaenas outcompete the big cats in a small, enclosed system in South Africa?:

Carnivores are adapted to kill, meaning sympatric carnivores can have particularly aggressive and harmful competitive interactions. The co‐existence of multiple carnivores in an ecosystem could be restricted by their similarity in ecological niches (e.g. dietary overlap); however, high prey abundances could facilitate their co‐existence. Although the development of small, enclosed reserves (over 400 km2) in South Africa has reduced human–carnivore conflict, these systems may increase the likelihood of carnivore intra‐guild competition due to the clumping of competing carnivores into these restricted spaces. Using carnivore scat and kill site analyses, we determined the dietary preferences and overlap of sympatric large carnivores in a small, enclosed reserve, Selati Game Reserve (Selati)