PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO FELINE PARVOVIRUS, CALICIVIRUS, HERPESVIRUS, CORONAVIRUS, AND IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND OF FELINE LEUKEMIA-VIRUS ANTIGEN AND THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF THESE VIRAL-INFECTIONS IN FREE-RANGING LIONS IN EAST-AFRICA

While viral infections and their impact are well studied in domestic c ats, only limited information is available on their occurrence in free -ranging lions. The goals of the present study were (i) to investigate the prevalence of antibodies to feline calicivirus (FCV), herpesvirus (FHV), coronavirus (FCoV), parvovirus (FPV), and immunodeficiency vir us (FIV) and of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen in 311 serum samp les collected between 1984 and 1991 from lions inhabiting Tanzania's n ational parks and (ii) to evaluate the possible biological importance and the interrelationship of these viral infections. Antibodies to FCV , never reported previously in free-ranging lions, were detected in 70 % of the sera. In addition, a much higher prevalence of antibodies to FCoV (57%) was found than was previously reported in Etosha National P ark and Kruger National Park. Titers ranged from 25 to 400. FeLV antig en was not detectable in any of the serum samples. FCoV, FCV FHV, and FIV were endemic in the Serengeti, while a transient elevation of FPV titers pointed to am outbreak of FPV infection between 1985 and 1987. antibody titers to FPV and FCV were highly prevalent its the Serengeti (FPV, 75%; FCV, 67%) but not in Ngorongoro Crater (FPV, 27%; FCV, 2%) . These differences could be explained by the different habitats and b iological histories of the two populations and by the well-documented absence of immigration of lions from the Serengeti plains into Ngorong oro Crater after 1965. These observations indicate that, although the pathological potential of these viral infections seemed not to be very high in free-ranging lions, relocation of seropositive animals by hum ans to seronegative lion populations must be considered very carefully .