SEROLOGICAL INDICATION OF CANINE DISTEMPER AND OF INFECTIOUS CANINE HEPATITIS IN WOLVES (Canis lupus L.) IN NORTHERN CANADA

Abstract

Serum and blood samples from 86 wolves taken in northern Canada were examined for neutralizing antibodies to canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and canine herpesvirus. The tests were performed on eluates prepared from paper discs previously saturated with serum or blood from wolf carcasses. Canine distemper and infectious canine hepatitis antibodies were demonstrated in two and eleven samples respectively. No reactors were detected for canine herpesvirus. These findings indicate the existence of the viruses of both CD and ICH in free-living wolves in northern Canada. However, their significance in these animals is not known.

Serologic Survey for Selected Disease Agents in Wolves (Canis Lupus) From Alaska and the Yukon Territory, 1984–2000

“…Antibody prevalences against CDV in previous surveys were Յ12% (Choquette and Kuyt, 1974;Stephenson et al, 1982;Zarnke and Ballard, 1987). Thus, the higher prevalences reported here (Ͼ30%) were unexpected.…”

“…However, this did not appreciably affect the overall pattern. Antibody prevalences for ICH have been high in northern wolf populations for many years (Choquette and Kuyt, 1974;Stephenson et al, 1982;Zarnke and Ballard, 1987). Therefore, the minor increase observed in the current survey could not be explained by either 1) introduction of the agent into an immunologically naïve population or 2) increases and decreases in prevalence related to acute epizootics.…”

“…Serologic evidence of exposure to these agents has been reported previously for wolves from Alaska and northern Canada (Choquette and Kuyt, 1974;Zarnke and Ballard, 1987). In addition, clinical cases of disease have been reported in domestic dogs and wolves (Elton, 1931;Choquette and Kuyt, 1974;Dieterich, 1981).…”

Antibodies to Canine Distemper and Phocine Distemper Viruses in Polar Bears from the Canadian Arctic

“…Other studies have reported the presence of antibody to morbillivirus similar or identical to PDV in ringed seals (Duignan et al, 1977) and other marine prey of polar bears in the Canadian arctic (Nielsen et al, 2000), but, again, the causative virus or viruses have not been identified. Similarly, the type of morbillivirus infecting arctic and subarctic terrestrial mammals sympatric with polar bears across their range has not been determined (Choquette and Kuyt, 1974;Zarnke and Ballard, 1987;Bohm et al, 1989;Chomel et al, 1998). Although the results of serologic analyses have been informative, future studies should be directed toward identifying the types of morbillivirus infection present in Canadian arctic wildlife, because this information is essential to understanding the ecology of morbillivirus infection in polar bears and, more generally, in arctic marine and terrestrial mammals.…”

Rabies and Canine Distemper in an Arctic Fox Population in Alaska

“…Canine distemper affects wolves (Canis lupus), dogs, red foxes, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), and polar bears (Zarnke, 1981;Follmann et al, 1996). Canine distemper, like rabies, is caused by a virus that may manifest itself at higher host population densities (Choquette and Kuyt, 1974). Some signs of distemper are similar to rabies, including neural disorders.…”