Canine Distemper Virus Research in China and Future Directions for Conservation

ABSTRACT

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, severe disease caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV). With a worldwide distribution and ever‐expanding list of susceptible hosts, CDV poses a growing risk for many threatened wildlife species, both in captivity and their native habitats. As a megadiverse country, China is home to myriad endemic and threatened species, many of which have the potential to be impacted by a CDV outbreak. To understand China's current priorities for CDV research, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published CDV research performed in China. Qualified results were collated from multiple databases, and data concerning the research topic and host species were categorized. We utilized Pearson's Chi‐squared test and standardized Pearson residuals to identify and measure deviations from the expected proportions of research distribution. We found that there were significant biases in all groupings tested. The research was significantly biased toward domestic animals, in‐vitro laboratory work, and farmed animals, and the research topics of detection, phylogenetics, and viral structure and function. After further excluding species not of conservation concern, we found the remaining research significantly biased toward captive species. Threatened native species were significantly more represented in this subset of literature than non‐native or those with lower IUCN statuses. Bias in research topics for the subset also varied, shifting to have significantly more work done on the topics of surveillance, phylogenetics, and prevention. More work is necessary to better understand and address the threat of CDV infections to susceptible wild populations in China. Work done in‐vitro and in domestic, farmed, and captive populations can set a foundation of knowledge, from which to expand and apply to wild populations.