A serologic assessment of exposure to viral pathogens and Leptospira in an urban raccoon (Procyon lotor) population inhabiting a large zoological park

J Zoo Wildl Med. 2007 Mar;38(1):18-26. doi: 10.1638/05-123.1.

Abstract

In urban environments, raccoons (Procyon lotor) may act as reservoirs for an array of pathogenic organisms, presenting spillover risks for human, domestic animal, and captive (zoo) animal populations. Over 5 yr, 159 raccoons from a high-density raccoon population in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), were surveyed for exposure to canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1); feline parvovirus (FPV; =feline panleukopenia), and several serovars of Leptospira interrogans. Exposure to each of the viruses and two Leptospira serovars (grippotyphosa and icterohemorrhagiae) was detected (prevalence of CDV = 54.1%; FPV = 49.7%; CAV-1 = 6.9%; L. interrogans icterohemorrhagiae = 8.9%; L. interrogans grippotyphosa = 6.3%). Eighty percent of raccoons showed evidence of exposure to at least one of the five primary pathogens, and 39% were positive for multiple species. Among the viruses, there was a significant co-occurrence of CDV and CAV-1. Longitudinal data on a subset of animals revealed that among individuals who were diagnosed as seropositive on first capture, 33-100% became seronegative for the pathogen of interest when reexamined at a later date. Thus, free-ranging urban raccoons have been exposed to multiple infectious agents, some of which may pose risks to humans and to nonvaccinated domestic and captive animal populations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / immunology
  • Adenoviridae Infections / epidemiology
  • Adenoviridae Infections / veterinary*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Zoo
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Disease Reservoirs / microbiology
  • Disease Reservoirs / veterinary
  • Disease Reservoirs / virology
  • Distemper / epidemiology*
  • Distemper Virus, Canine / immunology
  • Feline Panleukopenia Virus / immunology
  • Female
  • Leptospira / immunology
  • Leptospirosis / epidemiology
  • Leptospirosis / veterinary*
  • Male
  • Parvoviridae Infections / epidemiology
  • Parvoviridae Infections / veterinary*
  • Raccoons / virology*
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antibodies, Viral