Comparative Analysis of Diagnostic Methods for Cases of Canine Distemper and Characterization of Clinical Signs in Presenting Patients

The study aimed to investigate the two aspects of canine distemper, a disease endemic and amongst leading cause of mortality in small animals First the study compared diagnostic methods commonly employed in the detection of canine distemper virus in suspicious cases and to also characterize the highly varied clinical signs present in dogs infected with canine distemper virus (CDV). From 3905 dogs presented at the Veterinary Clinical Complex, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, 72 dogs showing clinical signs such as vomiting, diarrhoea, occulonasal discharges, cutaneous lesions, and neurological symptoms were selected. Among these, 44 dogs (1.13%) tested positive for CDV. The infection was multisystemic, with nervous symptoms observed in 97.72% of cases, followed by respiratory (68.18%), ocular (63.63%), cutaneous (52.27%), and gastrointestinal (GI) signs (38.63%). Mixed infections occurred in 90.90% of the dogs, suggesting systemic CDV spread.

The rapid CDV antigen test kit showed a positivity rate of 28.84%, while PCR confirmed CDV in 61.11% of cases, with the antigen test having a sensitivity of 31.82% and specificity of 87.50%. The study underscores the complex, multisystemic nature of CDV, with a high prevalence of neurological involvement. Rapid antigen testing should be used in conjunction with PCR for accurate diagnosis.