Virus Infects Lions


The Herald (Harare)

July 14, 2004
Posted to the web July 14, 2004

Isdore Guvamombe
Harare

FELINE Immunedeficiency Virus, the equivalent of the HIV in human beings, has infected lions in Kruger National Park in South Africa, threatening the viability of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

The megapark, joining Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe, Kruger in South Africa and Gaza in Mozambique, is the world's biggest wildlife sanctuary, but veterinary workers in Kruger say between 60 and 80 percent of the lions in South Africa are now under threat.


The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority was aware of the disease on the other side of the Limpopo but said it was closely monitoring its development.

The authority's chief warden, Mr Lovemore Mungwashu, said the disease was still in the southernmost part of Kruger National Park and that Zimbabwe was still safe.

"Yes, the Aids-like disease has been discovered in South Africa and we are carefully watching it.

"Although Kruger is part of the transfrontier park, the disease is still confined to the southern- most part of the park and Zimbabwe is still safe," said Mr Mungwashu.

The primary mode of FIV transmission is sexual contact and bite wounds.

On rare occasions infection is transmitted from mother to cub, usually on passage through the birth canal or when newly-born cubs ingest contaminated milk.

Infected animals usually appear normal for a few years until infection eventually leads to the gradual collapse of the immune system, resulting in the animal failing to protect itself from infections.

Common among the symptoms are persistent fever and diarrhoea with a loss of appetite, poor coat condition, chronic or recurrent infection of the skin and urinary bladder, abortions and behaviour change, including seizures.

All this is followed by slow but progressive weight loss and neurological disorders.

Zimbabwe shares a long stretch of the border with South Africa's Kruger National Park in Gonarezhou National Park, the verdant wildlife sanctuary, where lions roam wild and free.

Given the long-range migratory habits of lions and the territorial dominance of huge males, there are fears that the disease will spread to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.



Other felines, the leopard and cheetah, also have FIV but are said to be less susceptible because they are more solitary.

Lion prides are more affected by the disease because they are highly sociable and are in constant physical contact with each other.

How is it that these AIDS viruses are infecting different species other than just humans and monkey's? Very adaptable aren't they?

Lentiviruses, a family to which both FIV and HIV belong, have been with us for quite some time.

I am a researcher in veterinary vaccines, have been for the last 16 years - virology in fact, and specializing in immunosuppressive viral diseases. FIV was not derived from HIV, nor the other way around, of that there is no question. They are certainly related in some ways, but do not cross "the species barrier". In other words, a FIV infected cat does not cause HIV in humans, nor does a HIV infected human cause FIV in cats.

It is very likely that what has happened over time, is that as other more virulent disease-causing entities have been controlled by vaccines or post-exposure treatments, these seemingly new viruses have been "recognized". In other words, as we've learned to prevent death from those organisms most "immediately harmful", these other organisms, previously masked by more immediate issues, have been recognized for what they are. When a cat dies quickly from rabies, you are not exactly looking for pre-disposing conditions that might make that cat more susceptible to rabies. We make a vaccine for rabies and solve the problem, but then the underlying condition, in this case immune system suppression from FIV, allows some other pathogen to take the place of rabies.

Only after considerable research do we figure out that the FIV is what is pre-disposing these animals to other diseases, and that by preventing the pre-disposing condition, can we prevent an entire host of other potential problems.

Jhrod,

I am no expert but Prof Craig Packer at Univ of Minnesota, the world's leading authority on lions, has studied the effects of FIV for 26 years in the Serengeti and says there is "no evidence that FIV causes significant health effects". For the full text of the interview, go to our website and follow the SAFARIS link to Africa Indaba Newsletter, No 2-4.

So if this is correct, either the Zimbabweans are misinformed, or there is some political agenda at work here. The political issues surrounding the Transfrontier Park are

1. The South African side is the best developed and gets the most tourists. Zim and Moz will have to invest a lot of money to bring their sides up to par.

2. Poaching in SA is under control but not across the border.

3. The SA side wants to call the shots, the others don't like that.

Of course Packer may be all wet but I doubt it.

Russ,



Thanks for the link! I'm not actually a feline guy but work in the office next to our "cat-man". There is some good info from your link on the interview with Dr. Packer, and it is nice to see an academic type recognizing the value of hunting to preservation of lions. It is also great to see that at least the Serengetti lions seemed to have evolved a natural resistance to FIV.



I followed another link from Dr. Packer's interview that inferred there may be some geographical issues involved, i.e. lions in one area may have evolved over time to be resistant to ill effects from FIV, whereas lions in other areas have not. Quite frankly, I would bet the real story involves both biological and political factors - cat populations distant from the Serengetti population perhaps somewhat more susceptible to FIV, and PETA types/politicos manuevering to capitalize on the difference to advance their own agenda.



I would bet that a thousand years from now, a similar situation will occur in humans (if we are still around), wherein those humans who are are "naturally resistant" to HIV will have enough generations of offspring that certain human populations will not suffer as many ill effects from HIV as what is observed now.



Okay, I'm turning into "science geek". And as I mentioned earlier, I think a far more important factor in the long term survival of lions (and actually any animal in Africa) will be human population growth and habitat availability. Which reminds me, where did I put that SCI membership thing?

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