Canine Distemper
Dogs
Canine Distemper
Canine distemper virus |
Virus classification |
Group: |
Group V ((-)ssRNA) |
Order: |
Mononegavirales |
Family: |
Paramyxoviridae |
Genus: |
Morbillivirus |
Species: |
Canine distemper virus |
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Canine distemper is a
viral disease
affecting animals in the families
Canidae,
Mustelidae,
Mephitidae,
Procyonidae, and
possibly Felidae (though
not domestic cats;
feline
distemper or
panleukopenia is a similar, but different, virus exclusive to cats).
Infection
Dogs from four months to four
years old are particularly susceptible. It prevails most in
spring
and autumn. Canine
distemper virus (CDV) spreads
through the air and through contact with infected bodily fluids. The time
between infection and disease is 14 to 18 days.
Canine distemper virus has a tropism for lymphoid, epithelial, and nervous
tissues. Therefore, the typical pathologic features of canine distemper include
lymphoid depletion (causing
immunosuppression and leading to secondary infections), interstitial
pneumonia,
encephalitis
with
demyelination, and
hyperkeratosis
of foot pads . Histologic
examination reveals intranuclear and intracytoplasmic
eosinophilic inclusion
bodies in numerous tissues.
Symptoms
- Dullness and redness of the
eye
- Discharge from nose
- Vomiting and
diarrhea
- Cough
- Shivering
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
and energy
- Weight loss
- Seizures
- Thickened footpads
Diagnosis
The above symptoms, especially fever, respiratory signs, neurological signs,
and thickened footpads found in unvaccinated dogs strongly indicate canine
distemper. Finding the virus by various methods in the dog's
conjunctival
cells gives a definitive diagnosis.
Treatment and prevention
There is no specific treatment for canine distemper. The dog should be
treated by a
veterinarian, usually with
antibiotics for
secondary bacterial infections,
intravenous fluids, and nutritional supplements. The prognosis is poor.
There exist a number of
vaccines against canine distemper for
dogs and
domestic ferrets, which in
many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets. The type of vaccine should be
approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could
actually contract the disease from the vaccine. Animals should be
quarantined if
infected. The virus is
destroyed in the environment by routine cleaning with disinfectants.
References
- Ettinger, Stephen J.;Feldman, Edward C.(1995).Textbook of Veterinary
Internal Medicine(4th ed.). W.B. Saunders Company.
ISBN 0-7216-6795-3
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