Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hunting dog in Italy died from pseudorabies after eating wild boar
By Raele, Donato Antonio et al.·Published in Veterinaria italiana·2026·Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata. donatoantonio.raele@izspb.it.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tracking Pseudorabies: a case description in an Italian Hunting Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male hunting dog in Italy developed severe itching and sadly died within 48 hours after eating meat from infected wild boars. The dog was suspected to have Aujeszky's disease, also known as pseudorabies, which was confirmed through tests on brain tissue. This case highlights the dangers of wild game meat and the rapid progression of this disease in dogs. Unfortunately, despite the investigation, the dog did not survive.
People also search for: dog itching after eating wild boar · Aujeszky's disease in dogs · hunting dog death from wild game meat
Abstract
This study investigated the molecular features of Aujeszky's disease in a hunting dog from southern Italy. After consuming meat from infected wild boars, a 5-year-old male dog developed intense itching and died within 48 hours. Pseudorabies was suspected and necropsy was performed at the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata. SuHV-1 DNA was detected in the brain tissue, and the virus was isolated using Vero cells. Histological features and the analysis of genome sequencing revealed a non-suppurative meningoencephalitis caused by Aujeszky's disease. The yielded genome corresponded to a previously reported and unique genome (KU198433) isolated from a hunting dog in Italy. These findings improve understanding of pseudorabies's molecular epidemiology and help assess its epizootic potential.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41540886/