RABIES AND MORTALITY IN ETHIOPIAN WOLVES (CANIS-SIMENSIS)

Between October 1991 and February 1992, 41 of 53 known adult and subad ult Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) in five adjacent packs in the Ba le Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, died or disappeared. Brain smear s from two carcasses were positive for rabies by the immunofluorescenc e test, and rabies virus was isolated from the brains by mouse inocula tion. Based on monoclonal antibody tests on the mouse brains, we ident ified the virus as a minor variant of the serotype 1 rabies viruses fo und in domestic dogs and wild canids of Africa. Sera from two of 15 Et hiopian wolves had rabies virus neutralizing antibody.