Canine Distemper in crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) in National Park “El Palmar”, Entre Ríos, Argentina.

HEBE FERREYRA; MARINA GALLO CALDERÓN; DAMIÁN MARTICORENA; CAROLINA MARULL; BARRIOS CARO LEONARDO

JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES

Año: 2008

0090-3558

Canine distemper (CD) has been reported worldwide in wild carnivores and has been cited as the cause of population declines in some species.  Conservation areas are not devoid of the risk of exchange of diseases between wild and domestic species and recent events indicate that this has occurred.  Two crab eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) in El Palmar National Park were diagnosed with canine distemper virus (CDV).  The CDV strain affecting foxes showed within a fragment of the Hemagglutinin gene, a high degree of identity with those strains affecting dogs from Argentina.  The high frequencies of dog incursions into the Park, and our results from molecular studies have confirmed the role of dogs in the epidemiology of these cases within the park.  This situation made us to become aware of the importance of implementing preventive health management in conservation areas. This is the first report of CDV affecting wild carnivores in Argentina.