Influence of wetland and forest habitat on coyote exposure to canine parvovirus in Wisconsin

Generalist species, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), are able to adapt to urban environments, but how urbanization influences exposure of coyotes to canine parvovirus (CPV) is unknown. We aimed to identify environmental... [ view full abstract ]

Generalist species, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), are able to adapt to urban environments, but how urbanization influences exposure of coyotes to canine parvovirus (CPV) is unknown. We aimed to identify environmental variables that explain coyote exposure to parvovirus near Milwaukee and Madison. From 2008-2010, we sampled trapper-harvested coyotes for antibody against CPV. Nobuto strips were saturated with bloody fluid from the body cavity and later eluted in1.0ml phosphate buffered saline solution. Eluates were tested for CPV antibody using CPV-2 antigen via hemagglutination inhibition and we considered antibody titers > 1:25 as evidence of exposure. Harvest location for each adult coyote was entered into ArcMap 9.3 and then buffered by a 1.61 km radius to represent a circular approximation of a home range. The number of housing units along with area in grassland, wetland, forest, and agriculture were calculated in each approximated home range. Housing units were obtained from the 2000 US Census and land cover variables were obtained from the USGS 2001 National Landcover Database. Housing units and area metrics were not normally distributed so we log transformed them and incorporated them on a log scale as covariates in logistic regression models. Overall, 58% (N = 106) coyotes were exposed to parvovirus. Initially, we ranked models with intrinsic variables (site, year, and sex) using Akaike’s Information Criterion for small sample size but models yielded little explanatory power. We then incorporated environmental variables in the model set and parvovirus exposure was negatively related to wetland and positively related to forest in approximated home ranges. In this study, exposure of coyotes to CPV could be explained by persistence of the virus in forests, or by habitat use patterns of coyotes. Coyotes may come in closer contact in forests.