Contact rate and risk of rabies spread between medium- sized carnivores in southeast Finland

Abstract

Spatial and temporal interaction between medium-sized carnivores (raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, red fox Vulpes vulpes, European badger Meles meles and domestic cat Felis silvestris catus) was studied in southeast Finland using radio-telemetry to estimate the risk of contact and contact rate (number of contacts) between individuals. There was a high level of overlap between home ranges both within and between species and individuals had frequent contact. The risk of contact was high for members of raccoon dog pairs, individual cats and badgers, but also for raccoon dogs and badgers and for raccoon dogs and cats. The lowest risk of contact was for neighbouring raccoon dogs and for male foxes. In this carnivore community the transmission of disease, such as rabies, both within and between species is likely. The role of the badger as a vector of rabies is probably much greater than previously assumed.