Major pathological characteristics of experimentally infected dogs with Canine Distemper Virus CDV-HV strain

Abstract

Canine Distemper is an acute viral infectious disease in dogs. This study was conducted to characterize
the pathological features of the infected dog by experimental infection. Five Viet Namese, yellow dogs
at 2-months-old were infected with the CDV-HV strain via nasal and oropharyngeal mucosa with a
dose of 106 TCID
50/ml/dog. The studied result showed that the main clinical symptoms of the infected
dogs were fever, cough, nasal discharge, dyspnea, decreased appetite, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and
nodules on the skin. All the values of white and red blood cell counts, Hb content as well as blood cell
density were decreased in comparison to those of the control dogs. The gross lesions of the infected
dogs exhibited hemorrhagic pneumonia, hemorrhagic enteritis, fluid storage in the cavities, swollen
lymph nodes and brain congestion. Major histological lesions included congestion, haemorrhage and
existence of inflammatory cells in the organs (lung, intestine, lymph node, kidney, liver). The liver,
kidneys, lymph nodes, intestinal epithelial cells showed the degeneration and necrosis. The brain tissues
were congested and infiltration of inflammatory cells surrounding the cerebral vascular system, viral
inclusions occured in the nerve cells. The bronchial epithelial cells, intestines, lymph nodes exhibited
the aggression of virus particles.