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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Detecting distemper virus in urine of dogs with brain signs

By Saito, T B et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2006·Laborat&#xf3, Brazil·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Detection of canine distemper virus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the urine of dogs with clinical signs of distemper encephalitis.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of dogs showing signs of neurological problems, like seizures or coordination issues, were tested for canine distemper virus using a urine test. The researchers found that this urine test was very effective in detecting the virus, even better than testing blood or other body fluids. This method could help veterinarians diagnose distemper more accurately in dogs with these serious symptoms. Early detection is crucial for managing the disease and improving outcomes for affected dogs.

People also search for: dog seizures distemper · canine distemper virus symptoms · how to test for distemper in dogs

Abstract

In a prospective study we evaluated the use of the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in urine samples to diagnose canine distemper virus in dogs with progressive neurological disease. A fragment of the nucleoprotein gene of canine distemper virus was amplified from the urine of 22 distemper dogs. The body fluids and leukocytes of 12 asymptomatic dogs were RT-PCR negative. RT-PCR of urine samples was more sensitive than serum and leukocytes and at least as sensitive as cerebrospinal fluid to screen for distemper in dogs with neurological signs and extraneural systemic signs.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15878186/