Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibody levels in Alaskan sled dogs before and after a long race
By Banse, Heidi E. et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Assessment of serum antibody titers against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus type II, and canine parvovirus in Alaskan sled dogs before and after a long-distance race
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 195 Alaskan sled dogs had their blood tested for antibodies against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus type II, and canine parvovirus before and after participating in a long-distance race. After the race, many dogs showed significantly higher levels of antibodies against distemper and parvovirus, suggesting they may have been exposed to these viruses during the event. However, none of the dogs showed any signs of illness related to these viruses. The increase in antibody levels is interesting, but it's unclear what it means for the dogs' health.
People also search for: sled dog vaccination · canine parvovirus exposure symptoms · dog distemper virus prevention
Abstract
Abstract Objective—To determine serum antibody titers against canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus type II (CAV-2), and canine parvovirus (CPV) in trained sled dogs prior to and after completion of a long-distance race. Design—Prospective cohort study. Animals—195 Alaskan sled dogs (from 18 kennels) that participated in the 2006 Iditarod Trail Race. Procedures—All 1,323 dogs participating in the race had been vaccinated against the 3 viruses at 19 to 286 days prior to initial blood sample collection (obtained within the month preceding the race). Within 12 hours of race completion, blood samples were collected from 195 dogs (convenience sample) and matched with each dog's prerace sample. Serum antibody titers (90% confidence intervals [CIs]) were determined via serum neutralization assays. Results—After racing, geometric mean titers against CDV and CPV were significantly higher (2,495 [90% CI, 321 to 16,384] and 6,323 [90% CI, 512 to 32,768], respectively) than prerace values (82 [90% CI, 11 to 362] and 166 [90% CI, 32 to 1,024], respectively). Sixty-one of 194 (31.4%) dogs had t 4-fold increases in anti-CPV antibody titers after racing. Prerace serum antibody titers against CDV, CPV, and CAV-2 varied significantly by sled team but were not associated with time since vaccination. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Postrace increases in serum anti-CDV and anti-CPV antibody titer might reflect exposure of dogs to these agents immediately before or during racing. Dogs had no clinical signs of CDV-, CAV-2-, or CPV-associated disease; therefore, the clinical importance of these titer changes is uncertain.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.232.11.1669