Canine Distemper
Introduction:-
CD is the most important disease of pets
especially dogs.it is highly contagious, acute in nature and multi-systemic
disease. Usually, pups at the age of weaning or 6th weeks of age are
most susceptible. In this disease, the affected pets get a high degree of
emaciation.
Etiology:-
CD is caused by Morbilivirus that belongs
to Paramyxoviridae. It is an RNA-based enveloped virus that is much related to the human measles virus.it is susceptible to the high temperature of 50 Celsius.
Clinical signs:-
It is characterized by
·
Biphasic fever
·
Leucopenia
·
GIT disturbances indicate by vomiting
·
Respiratory disturbances and catarrhal
discharge
·
Neurological signs
Host:-
Canidae family e.g. dog, fox jackals
Mustelidae family e.g. parrots, monk
Felidae family e.g. large leopards, lions
The intensity of infection depends
on the virulence of the virus, age of the host and immune status of the host.
Transmission:-
The virus sheds in all secretion of patients. It can transfer to others by
feco-oral route .aerosol route and urine and inhalational transfer too.
Pathogenesis:-
After the local invasion of the virus, either through oral or inhalational route then affect tonsillar and bronchial
lymph nodes and localization occurs in the epithelium tissues. Multiplication
occurs in other tissues as retropharyngeal lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen,
thymus (cause leucopenia) then it enters the GIT. It mainly affects the kuffer
cells of the liver then to the epithelium tissues of the intestine and affects the
payer's patches and causes GIT disturbances. It leads to viremia thru mononuclear
cells.
It has two forms:
1. Mild
form
2. Multi-systemic
form
Mild form occurs depending immune
status of the host. In multi-systemic form GIT, respiratory, urogenital,
neurological organs get affected. Due to neural involvement, there could be
optic nerve damage that can lead to blindness.
Clinical findings:-
Biphasic fever initially of 104
then subsides and again comes and remains for until recovery.
GIT signs :> include vomiting,
diarrhea, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, and leucopenia
Respiratory signs :> coughing
initially dry cough the mucopurulent cough
Nasal discharge which serous in
the beginning but mucopurulent later on.
Neural signs :> Involuntary
activities of muscles of legs, hyperkinesia, paresis or sometimes paralysis of the hind limb,
convulsions, chewing of gums, seizures
the falling of patient, blindness due to optic nerve damage, so-called
as pink eye disease due to the presence of necrotic foci on the retina, paddling and
keratosis on pads.
Diagnosis:-
Serological test ELISA
This virus has HA-spikes so
Heam-agglutination is done
In old dogs, it characterized by
neural signs as ataxia, head pressing
Treatment:-
Oxydil 25mg/kg or ceftiofur
2.2mg/kg
Muscle relaxant vallium+diazepam
Parental therapy
