Virus isolation and molecular characterization of canine distemper virus by RT-PCR from a mature dog with multifocal encephalomyelit

Abstract

A case of multifocal distemper encephalomyelitis in a mature dog is described. In the presented case the ante mortem clinical diagnosis of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection could not be ideally performed due to the absence of typical signs of distemper, such as myoclonus and systemic signs accompanying the nervous signs. The definitive diagnosis of distemper encephalomyelitis was only carried out at post mortem through virus isolation in cell culture from fresh central nervous system (CNS) fragments and CDV nucleoprotein gene detection in the CNS by RT-PCR.