phylogenetic study on the NP gene of detected canine distemper virus in [2008-2011] Iran

Canine Distemper [CD] is a lethal systemic disease affecting a wide variety of terrestrial carnivores. This study was performed to survey epidemiological and molecular characteristics of the canine distemper virus [CDV] strains circulating in Iran. In this study, 19 CDV-suspected unvaccinated dogs from Northeast and center of Iran were analyzed for presence of CDV nucleoprotein [NP] gene using Nested-PCR during 2008- 2011. Different biological samples of 14 dogs were positive. The phylogenetic analysis based on partial NP gene sequences indicated the presence of two major clusters that are clearly different from vaccine strains in Iran. One cluster belongs to the European group and the other one to the Arctic group. Due to a lack of phylogenetic analysis on CDV in countries bordering Iran, except Turkey, the ancestor of Iranian sequences specially Iranian Arctic sequences could not be definitely identified. This study is the first report on phylogenetic analysis of CDV from domestic dogs in Iran

[Antibody monitoring to canine distemper virus in unvaccinated rural dogs in the southern coastal region of Caspian sea]

Mass mortality of Caspian seal has occurred in recent years and canine distemper virus [CDV] has been identified as the main pathogenic agent in these events. Despite the repetition of this event and the presence of a large number of dead seals in the coastal region of the Caspian Sea, very little is known about the epidemiological role of these animals in canine distemper virus survival in this area. In this study the frequency of antibody against CDV in unvaccinated rural dogs in the southeast coastal region of the Caspian Sea [Iran] was evaluated by means of serum neutralization test. Serum samples [185] were randomly collected from rural dogs from 2008 to 2010. Totally the frequency of positive antibody reaction in animals against CDV was found to be 55.6% [103/185] in 1/32 dilution [CI%95: 47-61]. In this study no significant difference in susceptibility was observed between males and females and among different age groups. Moreover, most of the positive cases were observed during the winter. These results indicate that this virus is present in the ecosystem. Furthermore, there is evidence of previous natural exposure to CDV. This high frequency of antibody in serum samples might be because of previous contact with CDV contaminated corpse of Caspian seal. Dogs' population in rural areas is dense enough to maintain CDV in environment and rural dogs can be a reservoir of infection for urban dogs and wild carnivores