Molecular Survey for Selected Viral Pathogens in Wild Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in Taiwan with an Emphasis on the Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Carnivore Protoparvovirus 1

Abstract

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) has been listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act in Taiwan since 2009. In this study, we targeted viral pathogens, included carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV-1), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), coronavirus (CoV), and canine morbillivirus (CMV), using molecular screening. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the target pathogens were evaluated. Through sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, we aimed to clarify the phylogenetic relationship of isolated viral pathogens between leopard cats and domestic carnivores. Samples from 23 and 29 leopard cats that were live-trapped and found dead, respectively, were collected from Miaoli County from 2015 to 2019 in northwestern Taiwan. CPPV-1 and coronavirus were detected in leopard cats. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of CPPV-1, and CoV was 63.5% (50.4%–76.6%) and 8.8% (0%–18.4%), respectively. The majority of sequences of each CPPV-1 strain amplified from Taiwanese leopard cats and domestic carnivores were identical. All the amplified CoV sequences from leopard cats were identified as feline coronavirus. The spatial and temporal aggregation of CPPV-1 infection in leopard cats was not determined in the sampling area, which indicated a wide distribution of CPPV-1 in the leopard cat habitat. We consider sympatric domestic carnivores to be the probable primary reservoir for the pathogens identified. We strongly recommend establishing efforts to manage CPPV-1 and FCoV in the leopard cat habitat, with an emphasis on vaccination programs and population control measures for free-roaming dogs and cats.IMPORTANCEThe leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is an endangered species in Taiwan. The effects of infectious diseases on the wildlife population have increasingly been recognized. In this study, we targeted highly pathogenic viral pathogens in wild cat species, included carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV-1), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), coronavirus (CoV), and canine morbillivirus (CMV), using molecular screening. Furthermore, we collected the epidemiological and phylogenetic data to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of the target pathogens in the wild leopard cat population and identified the possible origin of target pathogens. Based on our study, we consider sympatric domestic carnivores to be the probable primary reservoir for the pathogens identified. Our study provides a deeper understanding related to the distribution of target viral pathogens in the wild leopard cats. The information is essential for leopard cat conservation and pathogen management.

Prevalence of four viruses in captive Siberian tigers from Northeastern China

“…FeLV infection often causes myelosuppressive lymphoma or viral immunosuppression; although no FeLV positivity (0%) was detected in this study, previous reports have shown the prevalence of the virus in domestic cats is as high as 70% (Suntz et al., 2010; Westman et al., 2019). Reports of FeLV prevalence in cat populations around the world are numerous (Chen et al., 2021), the high prevalence of FeLV in cats is closely linked to both endogenous and exogenous FeLV infection, and much research revealed that only the major domestic cat host and allied small cat species harbour endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) elements stably integrated into their genomes (Powers et al., 2018; Stewart et al., 2011), these enFeLV loads may have a significant impact on virus detection rates. Therefore, the high prevalence of FeLV in many areas most may be endogenous, and the infection rate of exogenous FeLV should be further tested.…”