ANTIBODY-RESPONSES OF RED WOLVES TO CANINE-DISTEMPER VIRUS AND CANINEPARVOVIRUS VACCINATION

Twenty captive red wolves (Canis rufus), including 16 intended for rel ease into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove, Tennessee ( USA), and four housed at Knoxville Zoological Gardens, Inc., Knoxville , Tennessee, were evaluated for immunologic response to vaccination be tween June 1994 and April 1995. Wolves were vaccinated with modified-l ive (MLV) canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus type-2 (C PV2). Sera were collected, and immunofluorescent staining was performe d for determination of immunoglobulin titers (CDV IgM, CDV IgG, and CP V2 IgG). A capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed for validation purposes, to confirm the reactivity of our standard diagno stic reagents with red wolf serum. All wolves produced a measurable an tibody response to CDV and CPV2 vaccination. Titers against CDV and CP V2 varied widely among individual wolves, but between-litter differenc es in mean titers were not significant. No consistent response between the degree of response to CDV versus CPV2 vaccination was observed in individual wolves. No differences were seen between IgG responses of pups vaccinated with univalent vaccines given concurrently or during a lternating weeks. Pups had an IgG response to CDV and CPV2 vaccination as early as 9 wk of age. Mean post-vaccination IgG titers against CDV were at or above the level normally measured in vaccinated domestic d ogs. Mean post-vaccination IgG titers against CPV2 were below the leve l normally measured in domestic dogs. Adult previously-vaccinated wolv es had measurable CDV and CPV2 IgG titers more than 1 yr after vaccina tion, but did not have significant IgG titer increases after revaccina tion. We conclude that red wolves are capable of producing an antibody response after vaccination with commercial canine products but that t heir response to CPV2 vaccination was minimal. This response can be as sayed using tests developed for domestic dogs.