Serologic Survey of Selected Pathogens in Free-Ranging Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Nepal

McCauley, Deborah; Stout, Virginia; Gairhe, Kamal P.; Sadaula, Amir; Dubovi, Edward J.; Subedi, Suraj; Kaufman, Gretchen E.

doi:10.7589/jwd-d-20-00046

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The low FCoV copy numbers observed in the positive samples from tiger cubs are in agreement with previous reports of low viral load in samples from healthy FCoV-infected cats [ 29 , 31 ]. FCoV infection in the absence of FIP cases in these tiger cubs was expected, and is in accordance with previous reports showing FCoV infection in healthy tigers [ 10 , 32 ]. Even if neurological signs can be due to the dry form of FIP, the clinical outcome of the FCoV positive tiger cub that recovered soon after the treatment is not suggestive of FIP [ 18 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Molecular Detection of Feline Coronavirus in Captive Non-Domestic Felids from Zoological Facilities

Ratti

Stranieri

Giordano

et al. 2022

Animals

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Cases of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a disease with a high mortality rate caused by the feline coronavirus (FCoV), have been reported in non-domestic felids, highlighting the need for surveys of FCoV in these endangered species. With the aim of adding information on FCoV prevalence in captive non-domestic felids, samples (feces or rectal swabs and, when available, oral swabs, blood, and abdominal effusion) collected between 2019 and 2021 from 38 non-domestic felids from three different zoological facilities of Northern Italy were tested for evidence of FCoV infection via RT-qPCR. Three animals were found to be FCoV positive, showing an overall 7.9% FCoV prevalence ranging from 0% to 60%, according to the zoological facility. FCoV infection was detected in tiger cubs of the same litter, and all of them showed FCoV-positive oral swabs, with low viral loads, whereas in one animal, FCoV presence was also detected in rectal swabs at low FCoV copy numbers. Future studies should be carried out, including samplings from a higher number of captive non-domestic felids, in order to gain a deeper knowledge of FCoV epidemiology within these populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Molecular Detection of Feline Coronavirus in Captive Non-Domestic Felids from Zoological Facilities

Ratti

Stranieri

Giordano

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…There are currently no published reports of CDV in wildlife in Nepal [ 44 ], therefore the threat is thus far presumed from cases documented in PAs with similar risks in other countries. A serosurvey of pathogens in eleven free-ranging Bengal tigers in CNP between 2011 and 2017 detected no exposure to CDV, although the small sample size and the importance of continued disease surveillance was acknowledged in the study [ 46 ]. Increased tiger mortality has been documented between 2009–2018 in CNP [ 66 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chitwan National Park (CNP) provides habitat to endangered carnivores including the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and Asiatic wild-dog (Cuon alpinus), for which exposure to CDV could pose a conservation threat. Canine distemper virus is common in free-roaming dogs in other countries [39][40][41][42][43], and is considered endemic in Nepal but has been little studied in domestic or wildlife species [44], with only one published study providing CDV seroprevalence data from domestic dogs in the Annapurna region [45], and one serosurvey of eleven Bengal tigers from CNP [46].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seroprevalence of canine distemper virus (CDV) in the free-roaming dog (Canis familiaris) population surrounding Chitwan National Park, Nepal

et al. 2023

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Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a global multi-host pathogen that is capable of causing considerable mortality in a range of species and is important in the field of conservation medicine. Nepal’s Chitwan National Park is a protected area providing habitat for 32% of the country’s mammal species including endangered carnivores such as the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) that are susceptible to CDV. The presence of free-roaming dogs around protected areas could represent a source of infectious disease for transmission to local wildlife. A cross-sectional demographic and canine distemper virus seroprevalence study of 100 free-roaming dogs from the Chitwan National Park buffer zone and surrounding area was conducted in November 2019. The overall seroprevalence indicating past exposure to canine distemper virus was 80.0% (95% CI: 70.8–87.3). Of the host variables assessed, sex and age were positively associated with seroprevalence at the univariable level, with male dogs demonstrating lower seroprevalence than females (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.11–0.91) and adult dogs demonstrating higher seroprevalence than juveniles (OR = 13.94, 95% CI: 1.37–142.29). The effect of sex was no longer significant at the multivariable level, but the direction of the effect remained the same. The effect of age remained significant after multivariable analysis (OR = 9.00, 95% CI: 1.03–192.75). No spatial associations were demonstrated in relation to the buffer zone area or boundary of Chitwan National Park. Free-roaming dog neutering and vaccination programmes can provide a useful baseline for future CDV studies in the region, and a proxy to monitor disease threats to susceptible wildlife.

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“…The captive breeding mode of feline species increases the possibility of cross-species transmission between the species and humans ( Foley et al, 2013 ; Carver et al, 2016 ), which can potentially impact the survival of wildlife populations. For example, feline parvovirus (FPV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), canine distemper virus (CDV), and influenza A virus (IAV) are widespread in wild felines ( Duarte et al, 2012 ; Candela et al, 2019 ; McCauley et al, 2021 ). FPV is a pathogen that causes panleukopenia in felines, the symptoms of which include high fever, vomiting, severe leukopenia, and enteritis ( Stuetzer and Hartmann, 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Detection of Parvovirus in Captive Siberian Tigers and Lions in Northeastern China From 2019 to 2021

Huang

Xie

et al. 2022

Front. Microbiol.

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The fact that wild felines are carriers of pernicious infectious viruses should be a major concern due to the potential cross-species transmission between the felines and human or domestic animals. However, studies on the virus in the captive wild felines, especially in tigers, are thin on the ground. In this study, we screened four infectious viruses, namely, feline parvovirus (FPV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), canine distemper virus (CDV), and influenza A virus (IAV), in the blood samples of 285 captive Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and in the spleen samples of two deceased lions (Panthera leo), which were collected from 2019 to 2021 in three Siberian Tiger Parks from the northeast of China. Nucleic acids isolated from the blood samples collected from tigers and the spleen samples collected from two deceased lions were positive for FPV by PCR, and the positive rate was 4.6% (13/285) in tigers. Furthermore, the VP2 gene of FPV was amplified by nested PCR, and the sequences of the VP2 gene from these six FPV positive strains shared 98.3–99.9% homology with the reference. The key amino acid sites of VP2 protein were consistent with that of FPV reference strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the VP2 gene showed that in this study, FPV-positive strains were grouped within the FPV clade and closely related to the Asian strains clade. The results of this study showed that FPV circulated in the captive Siberian tigers and lions in northeastern China and provided valuable information for the study of FPV epidemiology in wild felines. Therefore, we suggest that regular antibody monitoring and booster immunization for tigers should be performed.

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Serologic Survey of Selected Pathogens in Free-Ranging Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Nepal

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Molecular Detection of Feline Coronavirus in Captive Non-Domestic Felids from Zoological Facilities

Molecular Detection of Feline Coronavirus in Captive Non-Domestic Felids from Zoological Facilities

Seroprevalence of canine distemper virus (CDV) in the free-roaming dog (Canis familiaris) population surrounding Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Molecular Detection of Parvovirus in Captive Siberian Tigers and Lions in Northeastern China From 2019 to 2021

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