This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Myers, D. L. Articles by Pospischil, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Myers, D. L. Articles by Pospischil, A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, 03 1997, 180-184, Vol 4, No. 2
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Distemper: not a new disease in lions and tigers

DL Myers, A Zurbriggen, H Lutz and A Pospischil
Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

In light of recent canine distemper virus (CDV) epidemics, we set out to determine the historical significance of CDV infection in captive lions and tigers in Switzerland. The retrospective case material consisted of 42 lion and tiger necropsy cases from 1972 to 1992. Necropsy reports for all lions and tigers were reviewed. All existing paraffin tissues were immunohistochemically examined with a polyclonal antibody raised against CDV. The results for 19 of the 42 lions and tigers were classified as positive by immunohistochemistry; 23 results were negative or questionable. The results for four animals (three positive and one negative ) were further tested by in situ hybridization, and the results concurred with the immunohistochemistry findings. CDV infection of large cats is older and more widespread than previously thought. All large cats in captivity should be immunized even if canine distemper is not believed to be a problem for large cats in the area.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Guiserix, M., Bahi-Jaber, N., Fouchet, D., Sauvage, F., Pontier, D. (2007). The canine distemper epidemic in Serengeti: are lions victims of a new highly virulent canine distemper virus strain, or is pathogen circulation stochasticity to blame?. J R Soc Interface 4: 1127-1134 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Evermann, J. F., Leathers, C. W., Gorham, J. R., McKeirnan, A. J., Appel, M. J. G. (2001). Pathogenesis of Two Strains of Lion (Panthera leo) Morbillivirus in Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Vet Pathol 38: 311-316 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Frisk, A. L., König, M., Moritz, A., Baumgärtner, W. (1999). Detection of Canine Distemper Virus Nucleoprotein RNA by Reverse Transcription-PCR Using Serum, Whole Blood, and Cerebrospinal Fluid from Dogs with Distemper. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 3634-3643 [Abstract] [Full Text]