Abstract

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the main terrestrial Wildlife rallies vector in Europe. However, recently the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)-an invasive species originating from East Asia-has become increasingly important as secondary host, especially in the Baltic States. This imposes problems oil neighboring rabies-free countries (such as Finland), where the density of each or the two vector species on its own might be too low to sustain a long-term rabies epizootic, but the community of vectors could be large enough to support a rabies epizootic. In this modeling study, we analyzed rabies epizootics ill a community of foxes and raccoon dogs. We focused oil the impact of density and behavioral differences (hibernation) between the two vector species. We found that rabies could persist in the community, even if the disease would not spread in the single vector species because its density was too low. Epizootics in the community were stronger than expected for single species, and raccoon dogs were usually the major rabies host. If raccoon dog territory density was high, invasive raccoon clogs could even outcompete native foxes because of apparent competition via the rabies virus. The enhancement in disease risk and disease intensity caused by raccoon clogs suggests that current strategies to control wildlife rabies in Europe should be reviewed, and that oral rabies vaccination also should target raccoon dogs after they emerge from hibernation.

Keywords

Climate; cross-species transmission; disease introduction; Nyctereutes procyonoides; rabies; raccoon dog; simulation

Published in

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
2009, Volume: 45, number: 4, pages: 1121-1137
Publisher: WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOC, INC

UKÄ Subject classification

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Ecology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-45.4.1121

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/86440