Canine distemper diagnosis by RT-PCR in dog samples from São Paulo State submitted to rabies laboratory diagnosis

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Carla Isabel Macedo
Zélia Maria Pinheiro Peixoto
Juliana Galera Castilho
Rafael de Novaes Oliveira
Adriana Cândido Rodrigues
Samira Maria Achkar

Abstract

Canine distemper (CD) is one of the most important infectious diseases in domestic dogs. In Brazil, CD is still the principal cause of mortality of dogs in some urban populations. Although different viral gene sequences have been identified for detecting the canine distemper virus (CDV), the N gene appears to be a better target for the amplification of specific fragments from all CDV strains. Using RT-PCR targeted to the CDV N gene, during the year 2014 we analyzed 190 central nervous system (CNS) samples of dogs from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with symptoms suggestive of encephalitis and sent them to the Pasteur Institute for the diagnosis of rabies. Positivity for CD was over 50%, indicating that the disease remains an important cause of canine mortality.

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How to Cite
MACEDO, C. I.; PEIXOTO, Z. M. P.; CASTILHO, J. G.; OLIVEIRA, R. DE N.; RODRIGUES, A. C.; ACHKAR, S. M. Canine distemper diagnosis by RT-PCR in dog samples from São Paulo State submitted to rabies laboratory diagnosis. Revista de Educação Continuada em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, v. 14, n. 1, p. 18-21, 3 Jun. 2016.
Section
SMALL ANIMALS CLINIC AND SURGERY