Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe canine distemper outbreak kills German shepherd pups in kennel
By Decaro, N et al.·Published in The new microbiologica·2004·Department of Animal Health and Well-being, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine distemper and related diseases: report of a severe outbreak in a kennel.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 42-day-old German shepherd puppies in a kennel experienced a severe outbreak of canine distemper, showing symptoms like fever, eye inflammation, breathing problems, and intestinal issues. Tragically, six puppies died within a week, and one showed neurological symptoms. Four other puppies that appeared healthy were vaccinated but later developed a serious nervous form of the disease. Post-mortem examinations revealed pneumonia and intestinal inflammation, and tests confirmed the presence of the canine distemper virus along with other infections. This outbreak highlights the importance of vaccination and monitoring for signs of illness in young puppies.
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Abstract
An outbreak of canine distemper in a kennel of German shepherds in the province of Bari is reported. Six 42-day-old pups developed typical signs of canine distemper (fever, conjunctivitis, respiratory distress and enteritis) and died within 7-10 days. Neurological symptoms were observed only in one pup. Four additional pups, which had shown no sign of illness, were separated and vaccinated, but two of these developed a severe, fatal nervous form 15 days later. Post-mortem examination, carried out on two pups which died without neurological signs, showed pneumonia and enteritis, more severe in one of the two examined pups. Smears from the brain and the conjunctiva of both dogs tested positive for canine distemper virus (CDV) by an immunofluorescent assay, confirmed by the identification of viral RNA using RT-PCR. Bordetella bronchiseptica and a canine adenovirus strain, characterized as canine adenovirus type 2 by a differential PCR assay, were isolated from the lungs of the pup showing the most pronounced lesions. Furthermore, canine coronavirus was detected by PCR in the intestinal content of this pup, suggesting a multifactorial aetiology of the outbreak.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15164629/