Concurrent Rabies and Canine Distemper Outbreaks and Infection in Endangered Ethiopian Wolves.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife disease ecology
• Conservation biology
• Epidemiology of infectious diseases in wildlife

Background:

• Endangered Ethiopian wolf populations face numerous threats.
• Rabies and canine distemper are significant viral diseases affecting canids.
• Previous literature rarely documents concurrent outbreaks of these two diseases in wildlife.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report and analyze concurrent outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper virus (CDV) in Ethiopian wolves.
• To assess the impact of these concurrent diseases on an endangered wildlife population.
• To highlight the risks posed by co-infections to vulnerable species.

Main Methods:

• Intensive disease surveillance and monitoring of Ethiopian wolf packs.
• Detection and diagnosis of rabies and canine distemper virus.
• Case identification, including co-infection in an individual animal.

Main Results:

• Evidence of concurrent outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper viruses in 2019.
• Confirmation of co-infection with both viruses in at least one Ethiopian wolf.
• Disease surveillance was critical for detecting and assessing the concurrent outbreaks.

Conclusions:

• Concurrent rabies and CDV outbreaks pose a significant, underestimated risk to endangered wildlife.
• Conservation strategies must consider the potential for simultaneous disease outbreaks.
• Modeling extinction risk based on single diseases may be insufficient in such scenarios.