Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with West Nile virus infection confirmed by multiple tests
By Buckweitz, Sandra et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2003·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serological, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemical detection of West Nile virus in a clinically affected dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old dog was brought in for kidney and brain problems and was found to have West Nile virus. During the examination, the vet discovered signs of viral infection in the dog's kidneys and brain. Tests showed that the virus was present in much higher amounts in the kidneys compared to other organs. The dog had a strong immune response to the virus, indicating it had been infected. Unfortunately, the dog did not survive, but the findings suggest that the kidneys may be a key area to check for West Nile virus in dogs.
People also search for: dog kidney problems West Nile virus · dog neurological disease symptoms · West Nile virus treatment in dogs
Abstract
Necropsy of an older dog submitted for evaluation of renal and central nervous system disease revealed histologic lesions compatible with West Nile viral encephalitis and myocarditis, as seen in other species. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction detection of envelope sequences, viral RNA was detected in most organs, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that at least 1,000 times more RNA was present in kidney than in brain, heart, spleen, or lung. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the kidney revealed intense staining of West Nile viral antigens in renal tubular epithelium and casts located within multifocal granulomatous interstitial inflammation. A canine immunoglobulin M (IgM)-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed, and patient serum was strongly positive for viral antibody. Retrospective and ongoing evaluation of sera from dogs with neurological disease and of those submitted for heartworm testing detected 4 dogs that were subclinically infected but without additional sickness. Judged by this experience, the kidney of West Nile virus-infected dogs may be an important target organ, one that might be suitable for antemortem biopsy. The presence of virus-specific IgM was demonstrated in the serum of this dog, and finding 4 positives among 169 additional canine sera received since late July 2002 suggests that seroconversion appears to be relatively uncommon in dogs during the outbreak in Missouri.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12918812/