Title

African Horse Sickness and African Carnivores

Authors

K. A. Alexander, University of California - Davis
P. W. Kat, University of California - Davis
Carol House, US Department of Agriculture
Stephen J. O'Brien, National Cancer Institute at FrederickFollow
M. Karen Laurenson, The Game Conservancy - Newtonmore, United Kingdom
J. Weldon McNutt, University of California - Davis
Bennie I. Osburn, University of California - Davis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1995

Publication Title

Veterinary Microbiology

Keywords

African horse sickness, Carnivores, Domestic dogs, African wild dogs, Lions, Spotted hyenas

ISSN

0378-1135

Volume

47

Issue/No.

1-2

First Page

133

Last Page

140

Abstract

African horse sickness (AHS) is a disease that affects equids, and is principally transmitted by Culicoides spp. that are biological vectors of AHS viruses (AHSV). The repeated spread of AHSV from sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East, northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula indicate that a better understanding of AHS epizootiology is needed. African horse sickness has long been known to infect and cause mortality among domestic dogs that ingest virus contaminated meat, but it is uncertain what role carnivores play in transmission of the virus. We present evidence of widespread natural AHS infection among a diversity of African carnivore species. We hypothesize that such infection resulted from ingestion of meat and organs from AHS-infected prey species. The effect of AHS on the carnivores is unknown, as is their role in the maintenance cycle of the disease.

Comments

© 1995 Published by Elsevier B.V.

NSUWorks Citation

Alexander, K. A.; P. W. Kat; Carol House; Stephen J. O'Brien; M. Karen Laurenson; J. Weldon McNutt; and Bennie I. Osburn. 1995. "African Horse Sickness and African Carnivores." Veterinary Microbiology 47, (1-2): 133-140. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cnso_bio_facarticles/712

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015