Wildlife diseases in South Africa: a review

The first category includes endemic African diseases which have evolved with and cycle in the various indigenous wildlife populations which, in turn, act as sylvatic reservoirs of the infectious agents. These diseases usually cause only minimal debility or mortality in indigenous wildlife and the infections are often subclinical. In contrast, infection of domestic livestock with these agents usually results in high morbidity and variable mortality. They are thus of considerable agricultural economic importance. African swine fever, African horse sickness, foot and mouth disease (SA T virus types), bovine malignant catarrh, bluetongue, Rift Valley fever, trypanosomiasis and theileriosis are good examples of this disease category.