Summary

# Editorial Summary Translocation of feral donkeys from Death Valley National Park into concentrated facilities has prompted concern about disease exposure in populations with unknown pathogen histories. Goodrich and colleagues employed serological testing to establish baseline exposure to four significant equine pathogens—equine herpesvirus 1, equine influenza, West Nile virus, and Borrelia burgdorferi—in a cohort of wild-caught donkeys, finding that the majority showed no evidence of previous infection or antibody development to any of these agents. This serological naïveté suggests these animals enter domestic settings with minimal acquired immunity and therefore heightened susceptibility to infectious disease during the stressful transition from rangeland to captive management. The findings underscore the critical need for rigorous biosecurity protocols, vaccination strategies, and quarantine procedures when integrating feral equids into holding facilities, adoption programmes, or training environments where they may encounter pathogen-shedding animals or vectors. For practitioners involved in the assessment and conditioning of relocated wild equids, this research highlights the importance of treating such animals as immunologically vulnerable during their first season in captivity, particularly regarding respiratory and neurological threats.

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Key Findings

• •Feral donkey population in Death Valley National Park showed serologic evidence of previous pathogen exposure assessed via serologic assays
• •Population demonstrated relative naivety to common equid pathogens including EHV-1, EIV, WNV, and B. burgdorferi
• •Feral donkeys are likely susceptible to these pathogens upon removal from wild environment and relocation to concentrated facilities

Conditions Studied

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