CANINE DISTEMPER

MORBILLI VIRUSOF

PARAMYXOVIRIDAE

• Complicated by secondary bacterial invaders like Bordtella bronchiseptica and

Salmonella species producing respiratory gastrointestinal symptoms

DIPHASIC FEVER CURVE

3-4th day High fever due to viraemia

11th – 12th

13th day high fever due to secondary bacterial infections

Mucous secretion from conjuctiva Ulceration of corneaPanopthalmitisRetinal atrophy of all layers –OLD DOG ENCEPHALITIS

NORMAL PAWS AFFECTED PAWS

HYPERKERATOSIS OF THE DIGITAL PADS

EPILEPTIC SEIZURES AND EXCESSIVE CHEWING MOVEMENTS ACCOMPANIED BY SALIVATION

CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS CAUSES INTERSTITIAL PNEUMONIA AND SECOND INFECTIONS DUE TO BACTERIA CAUSES BRONCHO PNEUMONIA

Interstitial pneumonia

Broncho-pneumonia

Nut meg liver

Both intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusion bodies

DEMEYELINATION OF NEURONSCanine distemper virus infection is also associated with demyelinationProbable reasons are virus itself cytotoxic immune responses to virus-infected cells autoimmune reactions to neural elements (e.g. myelin)

The vacuolated appearance of the white matter (WM) which is due to demyelination.

GITTER CELLSareas of white matter where demyelination has changed to necrosis (malacia) as seen in this photomicrograph.MICROGLIA PHAGOCYTIZE THE MYELIN AND FORM GITTER CELLS

GEMISTOCYTES Gemistocytes are hypertrophied astrocytes. They are often prominent in distemper and often contain intranuclear inclusion bodies. One gemistocyte is pointed out in this brain from a dog with distemper