ACADEMIA Letters Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) – The COVID-19 of the Wild Cats Jimmy Borah, Aaranyak Mohammad Khalid Sayeed Pasha, WWF Over the last two decades there has been a global rise in human infectious disease outbreaks, and every time a deadly wildlife linked human disease emerged, it made news headlines across the globe. SARS, Ebola, HIV, and now COVID-19 is delivering devastating impact on human population. However, there is another disease lurking across in the corners of the wilds, posing threat to the feline wild population, the ‘Canine Distemper Virus’ (CDV). It has lately been reported from populations of wild tigers (Panthera tigiris) in Malaysia, India, Russia and Indonesia. Canine distemper is a highly contagious, systemic, viral disease of canids, particularly in domestic dogs, seen worldwide. The virus can also be found in wildlife such as foxes, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, mink and ferrets, and has been reported in lions, tigers, leopards and other wild cats as well as seals. Much like the COVID-19 in humans, signs of CDV, in the infected animals, vary widely from no signs, to mild respiratory signs. Commonly observed signs are a runny nose, vomiting and diarrhoea, dehydration, excessive salivation, coughing and/or laboured breathing, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The virus affects several body systems, including the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, the spinal cord and brain. A study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa showed that 86% of the tested dogs around the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan State in India, carried CDV antibodies in their bloodstream. Loss and encroachment of habitat perhaps have further exposed the dangers and brought wild animals closer to human habitations and further into conflict. Presence of feral dog population around the tiger habitats escalates this threat. There is an increased risk of disease transfer from the dogs to tigers. Recently an outbreak of CDV was detected in feral dogs in Haa district of western Bhutan. The country has been prone to CDV for years and Academia Letters, August 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Jimmy Borah, jimmy@aaranyak.org Citation: Borah, J., Pasha, M.K.S. (2021). Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) – The COVID-19 of the Wild Cats. Academia Letters, Article 3114. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3114. 1 there have been cases detected in past decade, which is due to the presence of a very high population of feral dogs across the country. In 2013, canine distemper virus is known to have killed at least four tigers in India and several other animals across northern and eastern India. In 2016, a leopard (Panthera pardus) was observed for several days on the outskirts of villages in the Palpa District, behaving awkwardly, which later died. The veterinarians had a suspect that it was infected with CDV. In Russia, there were tiger deaths reported from Sikhote‐Alin Nature Reserve between 2004 and 2010, leading to decline of tigers in the Reserve. In one case a tigress, which has been spotted in the nearby villages was shot by police after they failed to capture it and on another occasion another tigress was immobilized, but later died in captivity. Further clinical investigations revealed that both animals were suffering from CDV. Since July 2019 there have been reports of 2 tigers dying from CDV in Malaysia. Indonesia held a meeting in 2013, inviting conservationists and wildlife veterinarians, to discuss the establishment of a disease surveillance programme for wild Sumatran tigers. This was done in response to the sporadic reports of CDV that had emerged across the tiger range. Recent research also shows that dogs may not be the only primary source of a disease. Canine distemper may also spread by other carnivores, such as hyenas, jackals and foxes. This has been seen in Africa in case of lions. In 1994, about 30 percent of the lions (Panthera leo) population in Serengeti National Park succumbed to CDV. It is suggested that detailed study to be carried out across the tiger range to further understand the spread and mitigation of CDV. It is, therefore, imperative to develop a disease surveillance strategy early on so as to deal with a probable CDV outbreak, which could be fatal for any population. It would prove useful to obtain blood samples of live tigers to test for the presence of CDV antibodies. For tiger deaths reported within the park, it may be important to diagnose the presence or absence of CDV. Modelling and mapping of data to investigate disease surveillance and targeted research is needed to assess the potential impact to tiger populations across the range. Blood sample collection and large-scale immunisation and vaccination of feral dog populations around tiger habitats in human dominated landscapes, further removal of infected carcasses and decontamination of areas where infected animals were treated should be carried out for future prevention of CDV outbreaks and control. While the world continues to struggle and cope with the Pandemic of COVID-19, a similar situation can well be on the way for the wild felids if proper measures are not undertaken timely. The entire population of top umbrella and charismatic species like tigers can be wiped out if CDV assumes a pandemic form in wild. Unfortunately, vaccines for wild animals are not recommended, and therefore prevention would the best cure!! Academia Letters, August 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Jimmy Borah, jimmy@aaranyak.org Citation: Borah, J., Pasha, M.K.S. (2021). Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) – The COVID-19 of the Wild Cats. Academia Letters, Article 3114. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3114. 2 References Dorji, T., Tenzin, T., Tenzin, K. et al. Seroprevalence and risk factors of canine distemper virus in the pet and stray dogs in Haa, western Bhutan. BMC Vet Res 16, 135 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02355-x Gilbert, M., V.S. Soutyrina, I.V. Seryodkin, N. Sulikhan, O.V. Uphyhkina, M. Goncharuk, L. Matthews, S. Cleaveland & D.G. Miquelle (2015). Canine distemper virus as a threat to wild tigers in Russia and across their range. Integrative Zoology. 10:329-343. DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12137 Muli B. H., Mariya S., Bodgener J., Iskandriati D., Liwa S. R., Sumampau T., Manansang J., Darusman H. S., Osofsky S. A., Techakriengkrai N. and Gilbert M. 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