BIOL-1615-016 Article Summary

Rabies and Canine Distemper in an Artic Fox Population in Alaska

Laura La Grutta 7/18/2013

INTRODUCTION

The following research has its origins in an incident occurring at the Prudhoe Bay oil field (Alaska, USA), where two oil field workers were attacked by a rabid arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) consequently as a precautionary measure 99 foxes were killed in winter 1994. Scientists decided to test the 99 foxes to try to find out if there was evidence of rabies or distemper and also to see if there was any correlation between the increase of fox population and the chances of rabies and distemper transmission in areas where there is human population development. In conclusion, scientists hypothesis was to prove or disprove if a large population of foxes, due to the presence of humans in wild areas, increases the chances of rabies and distemper in animals and consequently transmission to humans.

MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiment was conducted in the Prudhoe Bay oil field. The researchers trapped 99 foxes and killed them to test for rabies and distemper. From these 99 foxes, 92 were tested for rabies and 80 for distemper. The methods used to analyze the specimens were the direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) to test for rabies in the brain. To test for antibodies researchers collected serum by cardiac puncture and they used the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). To determine presence of distemper scientists also used FAT. In addition, antibodies were analyzed by serum neutralization.

RESULTS From all of the evidence collected the studies show that out of 92 foxes, just five were exposed to rabies, of the five, four had antibodies to rabies and just one had rabies in the brain. The four foxes with antibodies did not have any kind of evidence of rabies in the brain. Finally, none of the foxes tested positive for distemper in the brain or in the serum.

DISCUSSION The results of the four foxes that had antibodies to rabies showed that they were exposed to the virus earlier in their life and survived. Because they developed antibodies to rabies, it is highly unlikely that they could transmit rabies to anyone. Some of the results of this study surprised the researchers in particular the one regarding the distemper testing. No evidence of distemper was found in the 99 foxes. Researchers assumed this was due to the younger age of the foxes or due to previous exposure; inconsequently antibodies may have been too low to detect. Finally, this experiment shows, as other similar experiments did, that there is not enough evidence of correlation between fox population size and prevalence of rabies and distemper.

WORK CITED Ballard, Follmann, Ritter, Robards, Cronin.Rabies and Canine Distemper in an Arctic Fox Population in Alask. Journal of Wildlife Diseases,37(1), 2001,pp. 133-137.