Pathogens and Parasites As Potential Threats for the Pallas's Cat
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ISSN 1027-2992 I Special Issue I N° 13 | Spring 2019 Pallas'sCAT cat Status Reviewnews & Conservation Strategy 02 CATnews is the newsletter of the Cat Specialist Group, Editors: Christine & Urs Breitenmoser a component of the Species Survival Commission SSC of the Co�chairs IUCN/SSC International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is pu���� Cat Specialist Group lished twice a year, and is availa�le to mem�ers and the Friends of KORA, Thunstrasse 31, 3074 Muri, the Cat Group. Switzerland Tel ++41(31) 951 90 20 For joining the Friends of the Cat Group please contact Fax ++41(31) 951 90 40 Christine Breitenmoser at [email protected] <urs.�[email protected]�e.ch> <ch.�[email protected]> Original contri�utions and short notes a�out wild cats are welcome Send contributions and observations to Associate Editors: Ta�ea Lanz [email protected]. Guidelines for authors are availa�le at www.catsg.org/catnews This Special Issue of CATnews has �een produced with Cover Photo: Camera trap picture of manul in the support from the Taiwan Council of Agriculture's Forestry Bureau, Kot�as Hills, Kazakhstan, 20. July 2016 Fondation Segré, AZA Felid TAG and Zoo Leipzig. (Photo A. Barashkova, I Smelansky, Si�ecocenter) Design: �ar�ara sur�er, werk’sdesign gm�h Layout: Ta�ea Lanz and Christine Breitenmoser Print: Stämpfli AG, Bern, Switzerland ISSN 1027-2992 © IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group The designation of the geographical entities in this pu�lication, and the representation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or �oundaries. CATnews Special Issue 13 Spring 2019 chapter 9 SERGEY NAIDENKO1* AND TATYANA DEMINA2 agents may result in death of Pallas’s cats too. Our analysis showed that in the Mos� Pathogens and parasites cow Zoo, feline panleukopenia virus FPV caused the deaths of Pallas’s cats in 43% of as potential threats for the the cases (of 37 analysed animals). Among younger animals (up to 6 years of age) this Pallas's cat percentage was even higher with 59% (T. S. Demina, pers. comm.). Another 8% of ani� Pathogens may �e important factors affect� tentially �e devastating if occurring in feline mals died of co�infections (toxoplasmosis and ing population dynamics of different wild populations that are already small or in de� panleukopenia) and 14% of toxoplasmosis. mammalian species (Roelke�Parker et al. cline. In addition, the Felidae are suscepti�le Respiratory infections (rhinotracheitis and ca� 1996, Daniels et al. 1999, Goncharuk et al. to a wide array of highly lethal or de�ilitating licivirus) caused 5% of deaths of Pallas’s cats 2012, Bevins et al. 2012). There are sever� microparasites (Appel 1994), many of which (Fig. 1). To sum up, infectious pathogens re� al examples of different pathogens leading are either native to, or easily transmitted �y sulted in the death of 76% of captive Pallas’s to a decrease in num�er or even extinction domestic species (Roelke�Parker et al. 1996). cats, and among animals up to 6 years old of different populations of mammals in the Free�ranging domestic cats and dogs might this num�er increased to 96%. Most of these wild (Roelke�Parker et al. 1996, Meli et al. �e regarded as the most likely source of dif� animals were vaccinated against ra�ies, fe� 2009). These have �een epizootics caused �y ferent pathogens for wild cats. line calicivirus, panleukopenia and herpesvi� mutated canine distemper virus CDV in the It is very difficult to o�tain data on felids, es� rus �ut �ased on the results this vaccination Serengeti in 1994, and feline leukemia virus pecially small species, and their mortality in was not effective (later the vaccine producer in Doñana National Park (Spain). Sometimes the wild when addressing the reasons of their has �een changed). also very unusual pathogens may result in death. Correctly diagnosing causes of morta� Little is known a�out the effect of these the death of animals. For example, Eurasian lity is very difficult since the animals need to path�ogens on Pallas’s cats in the wild. To lynxes in a Netherlands zoo succum�ed to �e studied when they are ill or immediately date, cases of death of wild Pallas’s cats from the Bluetongue virus (Jauniaux et al. 2008), after death. This is additionally hampered �y FPV and undetermined causes have �een and the lethality of CDV to �ears has �een ha�itats difficult to access such as the ones documented in the wild in Russia (Kirilyuk & previously descri�ed (Cottrell et al. 2013). of the Pallas’s cat. In this case, data o�tained Puzanskii 1999). In comparison with captive 52 Knowledge of potential threats and risks for from captive individuals �ecomes very valua� Pallas’s cats, a low prevalence of some pa� animal species, including infectious/invasive �le. It is known, that Toxoplasma gondii may thogens has �een found in Mongolian and pathogens, may has critical value for their result in deaths of adult and young Pallas’s Daurian wild Pallas’s cats (Du�ey et al. 1988, conservation. cats in captivity. Some authors �elieve that Basso et al. 2005, Brown et al. 2005, 2010, Very little is known a�out the natural sources toxoplasmosis prevents the accumulation of Naidenko et al. 2014). Brown et al. (2005) of most infections in wild cats. At the same a sustaina�le captive population of this cat. showed that prevalence of anti�odies to T. time, many species or populations of Felidae, Captive �reeding of Pallas’s cats has �een gondii was 13% (2/15) in wild cats in Mongo� including the Pallas’s cat, are already serious� successful; however, the kittens’ survival has lia, �ut 100% (9/9) in tested cats in captivity. ly threatened �y factors such as reduced and �een low (40%; Swanson 1999, Kenny et al. Another potential pathogen in wild Pallas’s fragmented range, ha�itat destruction and 2002) primarily �ecause of suscepti�ility to cats is Cytauxzoon documented in Mongo� poaching of the predators themselves or their Toxoplasma gondii (Du�ey et al. 1988, Basso lian cats �ut not in captivity (Ketz�Riley et prey. Thus, otherwise minor diseases can po� et al. 2005). However, some other infectious al. 2003). These studies were conducted in Mongolia where the density of feral domestic cats is extremely low. In Russia, free�ranging domestic cats inha�it the same area as the Pallas’s cat. However, little is known a�out the prevalence of different pathogens in these domestic cats, although they could po� tentially �e an important source for infections in Pallas’s cats. The presence of pathogens in the Pallas’s cat populations was studied in the northern range (Daurian reserve, Russia) more thor� oughly than at other sites. On the northern edge of the range the seroprevalence to dif� ferent pathogens was analysed for Pallas’s cats (Naidenko et al. 2014), domestic cats (Pavlova et al. 2015) and their potential prey (Pavlova et al. 2016; Ta�le 1). The Pallas’s cats (n = 22) were serum positive to 5 of the Fig. 1. Rhinotracheitis in captive Pallas’s cat in Moscow zoo (Photo T. Demina). 15 potential pathogens that were assessed CATnews Special Issue 13 Spring 2019 pathogenes and parasites as potential threats Table 1. Serum prevalence of Pallas’s cats, domestic cats and their potential prey species to different pathogens (Naidenko et al. 2014, Pavlova et al. 2015, 2016). Pathogen Test system Pallas’s cat Domestic cat Prey species* Toxoplasma gondii EIA, Hema, Vector�Best (�oth Russia) 2/22 9/61 10/273 Feline panleukopenia virus FPV Dot�test Immunocom� (BioGal, Israel) 0/20 27/60 Feline herpes virus FHV Dot�test Immunocom� (BioGal, Israel) 0/20 0/61 Feline calicivirus FCV Dot�test Immunocom� (BioGal, Israel) 0/20 37/60 Canine distemper virus CDV EIA, Hema (Russia) 0/16 Chlamydia sp. EIA, Hema (Russia) 0/16 Mycoplasma sp. EIA, Hema (Russia) 2/16 Feline immunodeficiency virus FIV Speed�test, BVT (France) 1/19 6/58 Feline leukemia virus FeLV Speed�test, BVT (France) 1/21 6/58 Feline coronavirus FCOV Dot�test Immunocom� (BioGal, Israel) 0/3 Influenza A virus EIA, Narvak (Russia) 2/22 0/60 89/136 Pseudora�ies virus EIA, Narvak (Russia) 0/8 Candida sp. EIA, Hema (Russia) 0/14 Trichinella sp. EIA, IDVet (France) 0/19 1/61 13/251 Coxiella burnetti EIA, IDVet (France) 0/19 2/55 0/148 Bluetongue virus EIA, IDVet (France) *the seroprevalence to these pathogens was different for different species. Bold names: pathogens which Pallas’s cats were found to be serum positive for, but data is not published yet. �y kits of Hema and Narvak (�oth – Moscow, cats to Toxoplasma in Daurskii reserve was the animals was much lower (Pavlova et al. Russia), IDVet and BVT (�oth France) and similar (9%; Naidenko et al. 2014), although 2015). It is difficult to imagine that Pallas’s Immunocom� (BioGal, Israel; for details see the num�er and density of domestic cats (the cats did not have contact with these patho� Naidenko et al. 2014, Pavlova et al. 2015, main vector of Toxoplasma) is much higher gens when they visit herdsman stations and 53 2016). Later we continued this study, in� there than in Mongolia. However, the sero� villages or encounter domestic cats in the creased sample size to 40 Pallas’s cats and prevalence of domestic cats to Toxoplasma steppe.