Immunohistochemical detection of canine distemper virus in haired skin, nasal mucosa, and footpad epithelium: a method for antemortem diagnosis of infection. (25/155)

A reliable antemortem diagnostic method is needed for determining infection with canine distemper virus (CDV). The utility of immunohistochemical detection of CDV antigen was examined was examined for samples of nasal and footpad epithelium and haired skin in dogs with and without detectable CDV antigen in the lung and/or brain. Tissues from 57 dogs at risk of CDV infection were tested. Viral antigen was found in the lung and/or brain of 28 dogs. Among these dogs, viral antigen was demonstrated in the epithelial cells of the nasal mucosa in 24 of 27 dogs, in the footpad epithelium in 24 of 26 dogs, and in the haired skin of the dorsal neck in 26 of 27 dogs. Among the 29 dogs without CDV antigen in either the lung or brain, 1 dog had positive staining for viral antigen in the skin and nasal mucosa. Biopsies of haired skin of the dorsal neck, which is relatively simple to sample, can be used for immunohistochemical testing for acute and subacute infection with CDV.  (+info)

Dog lymphocyte cultures facilitate the isolation and growth of virulent canine distemper virus. (26/155)

Optimal conditions for the isolation and growth of virulent canine distemper virus (CDV) in canine thymic and peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures were determined. Peak virus titers were seen from 3 to 6 days postinoculation of lymphocytes and depended on the multiplicity of infection. Dog lymphocytes were at least as susceptible as canine macrophages to infection with virulent CDV. Virus replication in lymphocytes resulted in higher virus titers than in dog lung macrophages. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from CDV-immune dogs were as susceptible to CDV as were PBL from susceptible dogs.  (+info)

Subclinical infection of dogs by canine-adapted measles virus evidenced by their subsequent immunity to canine distemper virus. (27/155)

Moura, Roberto A. (Chas. Pfizer and Company, Inc., Terre Haute, Ind.) and Joel Warren. Subclinical infection of dogs by canine-adapted measles virus evidenced by their subsequent immunity to canine distemper virus. J. Bacteriol. 82:702-705. 1961.-Young dogs were inoculated with virulent measles virus which had been adapted to canine kidney or human amnion cell culture. None of the animals showed any clinical symptoms nor could virus be isolated from the blood, although measles-neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies developed during convalescence. All dogs failed to develop antibody to canine distemper. However, when these and normal control animals were subsequently inoculated intracerebrally with virulent distemper virus, each of the controls succumbed to typical symptoms, whereas all of the measles-immune dogs survived. These results suggest that the cross-protection conferred by measles against canine distemper virus infection involves factors other than humoral antibody. The immunity persists for a considerable length of time.  (+info)

Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of canine distemper virus-induced footpad hyperkeratosis (hard Pad disease) in dogs with natural canine distemper. (28/155)

Hard pad disease represents an uncommon manifestation of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection with a still uncertain pathogenesis. To study the pathogenesis of this uncommon, virally induced cutaneous lesion, the footpads of 19 dogs with naturally occurring distemper were investigated for histologic changes and distribution pattern of CDV antigen. All dogs displayed clinical signs of distemper, which had lasted from 10 to 75 days. Overt digital hyperkeratosis was observed in 12 animals (group A), whereas the footpads of the remaining seven dogs appeared normal macroscopically (group B). Orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis (12/12; 100%), irregular acanthosis (11/12; 92%), thickened rete ridges (10/12; 83%), and mild mononuclear perivascular (10/ 12; 83%) and periadnexal (7/12; 58%) dermatitis were the most common findings in dogs with hard pad disease. Surprisingly, orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis (5/7; 71%), irregular acanthosis (5/7; 71%), and thickened rete ridges (4/7; 57%) were also seen in the dogs without clinical evidence of digital hyperkeratosis. CDV-specific inclusion bodies and ballooning degeneration were not observed in the footpad epidermis of the 19 dogs. Immunohis-tochemistry revealed that CDV antigen was most frequently found in the stratum spinosum and granulosum and in the epithelial cells of the eccrine sweat glands and only rarely in the basal layer. Fibroblasts, pericytes, endothelial cells, and hair follicles were also positive in some animals. Despite the obvious difference regarding the macroscopic picture, the microscopic changes were less prominent between the animal groups. The selective infection of keratinocytes in the stratum spinosum might be the key event for the development of hard pad disease in the dog.  (+info)

Phocine distemper in German seals, 2002. (29/155)

Approximately 21,700 seals died during a morbillivirus epidemic in northwestern Europe in 2002. Phocine distemper virus 1 was isolated from seals in German waters. The sequence of the P gene showed 97% identity with the Dutch virus isolated in 1988. There was 100% identity with the Dutch isolate from 2002 and a single nucleotide mismatch with the Danish isolate.  (+info)

Tropism illuminated: lymphocyte-based pathways blazed by lethal morbillivirus through the host immune system. (30/155)

The immunosuppressive properties of morbilliviruses including measles and canine distemper virus (CDV) are well known, but the host cells supporting infection are poorly characterized. To identify these cells, a recombinant CDV expressing green fluorescent protein was produced by reverse genetics based on a wild-type strain lethal for ferrets. This recombinant virus fully retained virulence and blazed three lymphocyte-based pathways through the immune system of its host: first, it infected rapidly and massively circulating B and T cells; second, it took over and damaged secondary lymphatic organs including spleen, lymph nodes, and gut-associated and mucosal lymphoid tissues; third, it infected most thymocytes. In contrast, replication in epithelial cells was initially not detectable, but substantial before host death. Thus, CDV initially infects lymphocytes and massively replicates therein, thereby causing immunosuppression and preparing systemic invasion and host escape.  (+info)

Genetically distant American Canine distemper virus lineages have recently caused epizootics with somewhat different characteristics in raccoons living around a large suburban zoo in the USA. (31/155)

BACKGROUND: Mortality rates have differed during distemper outbreaks among free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor) living around a large Chicago-area zoo, and appeared higher in year 2001 than in 1998 and 2000. We hypothesized that a more lethal variant of the local Canine distemper virus (CDV) lineage had emerged in 2001, and sought the genetic basis that led to increased virulence. However, a more complex model surfaced during preliminary analyses of CDV genomic sequences in infected tissues and of virus isolated in vitro from the raccoons. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analyses of subgenomic CDV fusion (F) -, phosphoprotein (P) -, and complete hemagglutinin (H) - gene sequences indicated that distinct American CDV lineages caused the distemper epizootics. The 1998 outbreak was caused by viruses that are likely from an old CDV lineage that includes CDV Snyder Hill and Lederle, which are CDV strains from the early 1950's. The 2000 and 2001 viruses appear to stem from the lineage of CDV A75/17, which was isolated in the mid 1970's. Only the 2001 viruses formed large syncytia in brain and/or lung tissue, and during primary isolation in-vitro in Vero cells, demonstrating at least one phenotypic property by which they differed from the other viruses. CONCLUSIONS: Two different American CDV lineages caused the raccoon distemper outbreaks. The 1998 viruses are genetically distant to the 2000/2001 viruses. Since CDV does not cause persistent infections, the cycling of different CDV lineages within the same locale suggests multiple reintroductions of the virus to area raccoons. Our findings establish a precedent for determining whether the perceived differences in mortality rates are actual and attributable in part to inherent differences between CDV strains arising from different CDV lineages.  (+info)

Prevalence of canine distemper virus, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus in captive African lions (Panthera leo) in Japan. (32/155)

Sero-prevalences of canine distemper virus (CDV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were evaluated in 20 captive lions in two Japanese zoos. Anti-CDV antibody was detected in 13 of 20 lions. We could pursue antibody responses against CDV in three lions back to 1996. Sera collected in 1996 were negative for anti-CDV antibody, therefore, all of them showed sero-conversion in 2000. This result suggested that the epidemic of CDV infection in this zoo might have happened between 1996 and 2000. The lions were also examined for FIV and FeLV infections. We had no evidence for FeLV infection but eight lions were sero-positive for anti-FIV antibody.  (+info)