Viruses of the Serengeti: patterns of infection and mortality in African lions

Drawing on long-term study of individually known Serengeti and Ngorongoro lions, this paper characterized exposure to a suite of pathogens including canine distemper virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline coronavirus, feline calicivirus and feline parvovirus. By matching serology to detailed life-history and mortality records, the authors distinguished pathogens that circulated widely without obvious harm from those, like the 1994 CDV epidemic, associated with mass die-offs. The analysis showed that endemic feline viruses persisted in the population with limited demographic impact, whereas occasional epidemic introductions caused acute mortality. This work helped establish baseline pathogen prevalence for one of the best-studied wild felid populations and framed how researchers interpret seropositivity versus disease in social carnivores.