Background@#
Canine distemper virus (CDV)
infection results in high
morbidity and
mortality in
dogs . There has been no
report about Isolation of Korean CDV since 1980 in
Korea . @*Objectives@#To investigate the
biological properties and the genetic characterization of Korean CDV. @*
Methods @#
Vero cells expressing
dog signaling
lymphocyte activation molecule (dSLAM)
gene named as Vero/dSLAM were used to isolate CDV using 17 samples. Diagnostic
methods such as cytopathic effects,
immunofluorescence assay,
peroxidase linked assay,
electron microscopy , rapid immunodiagnostic assay, and
reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to confirm the Korean CDV isolate as a CDV. The genetic
analysis was performed through
cloning and sequencing of
hemagglutinin gene of CDV isolate. @*Results@#A
virus propagated in Vero/dSLAM
cell was confirmed as CDV (CD1901
strain ) based on the above
methods . The CD1901
strain showed the highest viral titer (10 5.5 50%
tissue culture infectious
dose [TCID 50 ]/mL) in the Vero/dSLAM
cells at 4 days post inoculation, but did not form a fork on
chorioallantoic membrane of 7-day-old
egg .
Ribavirin , a
nucleotide analogue anti-viral agent, inhibits moderately the Korean CDV propagation in the Vero/dSLAM
cells . The
nucleotide and
amino acid sequences of the H
gene of CD1901
strain were compared with those of other CDV
strains . The CD1901
strain belonged to
Asia 1 group and had the highest similarity (99.9%) with the BA134
strain , which was isolated in
China in 2008. @*Conclusions@#We constructed successfully Vero/dSLAM and isolated one Korean CDV isolate (CD1901
strain ) from a naturally infected
dog . The CD1901
strain belonged to
Asia 1
genotype .