SEROLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS AND CANINE-DISTEMPER INRELATION TO WOLF (CANIS-LUPUS) PUP MORTALITIES

Twenty-one serum samples from 18 wolves (Canis lupus) were collected f rom 1985 to 1990 from northwestern Montana (USA) and southeastern Brit ish Columbia, Canada, and evaluated for antibodies to canine parvoviru s (CPV), canine distemper (CD), infectious canine hepatitis, and Lyme disease; we found prevalences of 13 (65%) of 19, five (29%) of 17, sev en (36%) of 19, and 0 of 20 wolves for these diseases, respectively. P ups died or disappeared in three of the eight packs studied. In these three packs, adult pack members had CPV titers greater than or equal t o 1,600 or CD titers greater than or equal to 1,250. In packs that suc cessfully raised pups, CPV and CD titers were low. We propose that CPV or CD may have caused some pup mortalities.