ABSTRACT
A mail survey of 613 private veterinary practices in Indiana was conducted to determine the prevalence of canine distemper infection in Indiana during 1991 and 1992 and to compare the prevalence in three geographic regions. Of the practices that were contacted, 223 (37%) responded. Canine distemper had been diagnosed by 150 (67%) of the 223 practices. The period prevalence increased significantly from 11.1 to 16.9 cases per 10,000 dog visits. Surveillance of private veterinary practices may be useful to confirm suspected outbreaks of diseases in companion animals.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/veterinary , Distemper/epidemiology , Animals , Distemper/diagnosis , Dogs , Female , Indiana/epidemiology , Male , Population Surveillance , Prevalence , Professional Practice/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Veterinary Medicine/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
The epidemiologic features of an outbreak of canine distemper during 1992 and 1993 in pet dogs in Indiana are described. Risk factors for disease were characterized using hospital records of private veterinary practitioners. The risk of disease for purebred dogs was 85% lower than the risk of disease for mixed-breed dogs. Lack of vaccination was associated with a 350-fold increase in the risk of canine distemper, and 93.8% of all cases could be attributed to the lack of vaccination. For many of the owners, the cost of medical treatment exceeded the cost of a vaccination program.
