Infectious disease

Abstract

This chapter examines the role of infectious disease in the conservation of wild canids. Canid diseases cause concern for two reasons. First, widespread species such as red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans) may carry infections such as rabies, leishmaniasis, and hydatid disease that can be transmitted to people and livestock. Second, populations of threatened canids such as Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) may be at risk of extinction through the effects of virulent infections such as rabies and canine distemper, sometimes needing management to protect them from infection.