Potential Pathogens Reported in Species of the Family Viverridae and Their Implications for Human and Animal Health

Wicker, L. V.; Canfield, P. J.; Higgins, D. P.

Ecotourism is a further anthropogenic factor which brings people into contact with free-ranging viverrids, facilitating the cycling of organisms between these groups. As ecotourism, and hence visitation to national parks, expands globally, an increase in human-wildlife contact has led to a corresponding increase in the risk of transmission of disease (Muehlenbein et al., 2008) , a risk which was illustrated in the Serengeti National Park in 2009 when an African civet, showing clinical signs consistent with rabies, bit a child in an unprovoked attack. A novel lyssavirus, the ikoma lyssavirus, was subsequently isolated from the civet (Marston et al., 2012) . Although the pathogenicity of Ikoma Lyssavirus to humans is unknown, and further research is required to understand its prevalence and distribution (Marston et al., 2012) , this case highlighted the risk of disease emergence when immunologically na€ ıve people come into close and unnatural proximity with wild animals.