Canine distemper outbreak in pet store puppies linked to a high-volume dog breeder.

Canine distemper is uncommon in the pet trade in the United States, in large part due to effective vaccines against Canine distemper virus (CDV). This is a report of CDV affecting 24 young dogs of multiple breeds shortly after sale by 2 pet stores in Wyoming during August-October 2010. Cases were diagnosed over 37 days. Diagnosis was established by a combination of fluorescent antibody staining, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, negative stain electron microscopy, and necropsy with histopathology. Viral hemagglutinin gene sequences were analyzed from 2 affected dogs and were identical (GenBank accession no. JF283477). Sequences were distinct from those in a contemporaneous unrelated case of CDV in a Wyoming dog (JF283476) that had no contact with the pet store dogs. The breeding property from which the puppies originated was quarantined by the Kansas Animal Health Department. Puppies intended for sale were tested for CDV. Canine distemper was diagnosed on site in November 2010. At that point 1,466 dogs were euthanized to eliminate dispersal of the disease through commercial channels. The investigation underscores the risks inherent in large-scale dog breeding when vaccination and biosecurity practices are suboptimal.

Comparison of ear notch immunohistochemistry, ear notch antigen-capture ELISA, and buffy coat virus isolation for detection of calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Two techniques performed on skin biopsy samples (ear notches), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and antigen-capture ELISA (AgELISA), were compared for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) persistent infection (PI) in 559 Angus calves between the ages of 1 and 5 months. The calves also were tested for BVDV infection using virus isolation (VI) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR on buffy coat samples and for antibodies to BVDV types la and 2 by serum neutralization (SN). Sixty-seven of 559 (12.0%) calves tested positive at initial screening by IHC, AgELISA, or VI, and all 67 were kept for a minimum of 3 months and retested monthly by IHC, AgELISA, VI, RT-PCR, and SN. Of the calves positive at initial screening, 59/67 (88.1%) were determined PI and 8/67 (11.9%) were determined acutely infected. Both IHC and AgELISA detected 100% of PI calves; however, IHC and AgELISA also detected 6 and 8 acutely infected calves, respectively, at initial screening. Furthermore, IHC and AgELISA continued to detect 3 and 4 acutely infected calves, respectively, 3 months after initial screening. Three acutely infected calves had IHC staining indistinguishable from PI calves at initial screening. Both IHC and AgELISA are accurate at detecting BVDV-infected calves, but veterinarians and producers should be advised that both tests detect some calves acutely infected with BVDV in addition to PI animals. Repeat testing using VI or RT-PCR on buffy coat samples should be performed at 30 days after initial screening to conclusively discriminate between acute and PI.