Paramyxoviridae

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Overview

  • Systemic infections - controlled by live monotypic vaccination
  • Respiratory infections - not controled by live monotypic vaccinations

Classification

Virus properties

{Canine distemper - a pantropic virus which has a suppressing effect on lymphoid tissue, and which may trigger latent Toxoplasmosis. After aerosol infection, the virus multiplies in the bronchial and other lymph nodes. It then spreads to a variety of epithelium depending upon the strain of virus including that of the respiratory and alimentary tracts, skin and later (1-5 wk. post infection) to the brain, causing a mucopurulent oculonasal discharge with keratitis and an interstitial pneumonia, a smelly sometimes bloody diarrhoea, eruptions on the skin including hyperkeratosis of the nose and pads, and encephalitis respectively. The essential feature of the last mentioned is demyelination particularly in the cerebellum resulting in ataxia. Convulsions, coma and paralysis may occur, and chorea (rhythmic motor movements) may be seen in recovered animals. Intracytoplasmic inclusions may be found in most affected tissues and inclusions persist longest in the brain (may be intranuclear) and the alveolar macrophages. Giant cells may be seen in the alveoli. The severity of the disease may vary; if enough neutralising antibody develops in the early stages, the virus maybe kept restricted largely to the lymph nodes. Severe clinical pneumonia follows secondary infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica.} From RVC respiratory notes 2006 by B.Smyth





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