Basic Introduction to Canine Distemper

Canine distemper is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the paramyxoviridae family, and is therefore a close relative of measles and rinderpest. Despite widespread vaccination in many areas, the disease remains one of the major diseases in dogs.

【Object】Canine distemper can occur regardless of the season, especially in winter and spring. Puppies mortality rate in more than 90 percent, adult dog mortality rate in more than 50 percent. So, please master to the dog vaccination, to prevent endangered dog life. If the dog suffering from distemper, the owner should prompt treatment.

【Overview】Canine distemper, also known as dog plague, dog plague, is a major threat to puppies canine viral diseases. The pathogen is canine distemper virus. Dogs to show bipolar fever, rhinitis, severe gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory inflammation is characterized by. A small number of cases can be encephalitis. Sled dogs and other suitable for cold zone life of the dog suffering from the disease mortality is high. For Canidae, Mustelidae, Skunk Branch, Hyena Branch, Panda Bear Branch, Raccoon Branch, Finoptera and some civet family and cat family of animals (but no effect on domestic cats, feline distemper or cat pan Leukopenia is another disease that affects only cats).

【Virus source】Saliva, tears, pericardial fluid, pleural effusion, ascites and urine, as well as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, spinal cord and other organs contain a large number of viruses. And with the respiratory secretions and urine detoxification to the outside world. Healthy dogs and dogs in direct contact with or through contaminated air or food through the respiratory tract or gastrointestinal infection. In addition to the most vulnerable puppies, fur animals, fox, mink is also very susceptible to distemper.

Main feature

The disease can occur throughout the year, but multiple in winter and spring. The disease has a certain periodicity, once every three years a pandemic. Dogs of different ages, sexes and breeds can be infected, but the most susceptible to underage puppies. Purebred dogs, dogs than the local dog susceptibility, and disease response, mortality is also high. The most important source of infection of the disease is the nose, eye secretions and urine. It has been reported dogs infected with the virus 60-90 days after the virus is still in the urine, so that urine is a very dangerous source of infection, the main route of transmission dogs and dogs in direct contact with the health can also be through the air droplets Through the respiratory tract infection. Dogs with the same room but found a dog blast, no matter how strict protective measures taken, can not avoid cohabitation a canine infection.

Etiology of Canine Distemper

As early as 1905, Carre proposed the pathogen of this disease is a virus, Dedie 1951 for the first time with tissue culture method canine distemper virus. Is now identified canine distemper virus is Paramyxoviridae, a member of the genus of measles virus, and the genus of measles virus and rinderpest virus has a close relationship between the antigen.

Canine distemper virus resistance is not strong, hot, dry, ultraviolet and organic solvents sensitive, easy to be ultraviolet, ether, formaldehyde, Lysol killed; 2 ~ 4C can survive for several weeks at room temperature for several days, 50 ~ 60Cl hours can make the virus inactivated. PH 4.5 and below and 9.0 or more of the acid or alkali environment can make it quickly inactivated, but can be frozen for several months at low temperature, freeze-dried can be stored for several years.

Clinical diagnosis

Clinical symptoms: The incubation period of canine distemper is different with the different length of the source of infection. The incubation period for the same species is 3-6 days. The latent period of the xenogeneic animal can sometimes be as long as 30 to 90 days.

A variety of symptoms, the virulence of the virus, environmental conditions, age and immune status. 50% to 70% of the CDV infection showed subclinical symptoms, performance burnout, anorexia, body temperature and upper respiratory tract infection. Severe canine distemper infection is more common in unvaccinated puppies. The first symptom of canine distemper is a rise in body temperature, lasting 1-3 days. And then subsided, resembles the characteristics of a cold recovery. But a few days after the temperature rise again, the duration of uncertainty. Visible tears, conjunctival redness, eye secretions from the liquid into sticky purulent. Nasal dry, nasal fluid flow, the beginning is serous nasal fluid, after the purulent nasal fluid becomes. Disease at the beginning of a dry cough, after the wet cough, difficulty breathing. Gastrointestinal type of vomiting, diarrhea, intussusception Diego, and ultimately to severe dehydration and debilitating death.

Neurological symptoms of canine plague, mostly in the above symptoms 7 to 21 days there is also a beginning for the performance of neurological symptoms, puppies infected by the placenta in 28 days to 42 days to produce neurological symptoms, due to canine distemper virus against the central nervous system System of different parts of the symptoms vary. Viral damage in the brain, manifested as epilepsy, circular motion, standing posture abnormalities, gait instability, ataxia, masticatory muscles and limbs paroxysmal convulsions and other neurological symptoms, such neuropathic canine prognosis is mostly bad.

Canine distemper virus can cause partial canine eye injury, clinical conjunctivitis, keratitis is characterized by keratitis, mostly in the incidence of about 15 days after the more common, corneal white, severe corneal ulcers can occur, perforation, blindness.

Mortality rate: The disease mortality in puppies is high, the mortality rate of up to 80 ~ 90%. And secondary pneumonia, enteritis, intussusception and other symptoms.

Clinically, once the characteristics of canine distemper symptoms, the prognosis is poor. Especially dogs that have not been immunized. Although the clinical symptomatic treatment, but the development of the disease is difficult to control, mostly with neurological symptoms and failure of death. Part of the recovery of dogs in general can leave varying degrees of sequelae.

Cure rate: After the statistics, the cure rate of canine distemper is very low, the pet hospital is generally believed that the cure rate is low and the treatment time is sooner or later, the treatment of serum or antibody and other biological drug potency and the dog's blood and age are directly related. Early cases are expected to cure, in the late cases difficult to cure.