Vaccinating African Wild Dogs Against Canine Distemper

In the past three years, researchers recorded six separate fatal outbreaks of canine distemper virus (CDV) in endangered African wild dogs, nearly wiping out the largest population in Kenya. Previous Foundation-funded research showed CDV cannot easily be controlled by vaccinating domestic dogs, a major source of infection. This suggests wild dogs themselves might need to be vaccinated in areas where CDV risk is high for this species. As of now, no safe and effective vaccination protocol exists for African wild dogs. In this project, researchers will compare three different vaccination strategies. Researchers will first test their protocols in African wild dogs in captivity. Based on these results, the team will continue the trial on dogs in the wild. Results will help inform vaccination strategies for managing deadly CDV in African wild dogs.