1087 KENNEL COUGH – A CANINE MODEL FOR VIRAL AIRWAY DISEASE

Abstract

Acute viral respiratory tract illnesses during childhood may be associated with the development of reactive airways and chronic lung diseases in later life. Models to study the sequelae of acute viral airways disease have not been developed. We studied canine “kennel cough” produced by a parainfluenza virus which is antigenically similar to human parainfluenza Type II virus. Animals were infected by aerosolization with 2.5×105 TCID50 innocula of virus (supplied by Dr. F. Lief, Philadelphia, PA) on two consecutive days. Four antibody negative 3-month old beagle puppies developed spontaneous cough, persisting for three days to six weeks, and had radiographic pulmonary infiltrates. All puppies developed serum neutralizing antibody titers greater than 1:16, and had respiratory changes including increased minute ventilation, decreased compliance, and decreased resistance with increased respiratory rate. Pathologic findings included peribronchiolar polymorphonuclear infiltration, denuding of ciliated epithelium, and diffuse alveolar and interstitial infiltrates. These results suggest that: 1) parainfluenza virus can produce acute airway disease in dogs; 2) pulmonary function and pathologic changes are consistent with acute viral pneumonitis; and 3) kennel cough can be used to study the physiologic, immunologic, and allergic aspects of human viral airway disease. (Supported by an Arizona Lung Association grant and NRSA grant HL07243).