Effects of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Dogs with Neurological Sequels of Distemper Virus.

Background: Acupuncture (AP) has been empirically used to relieve post-canine distemper virus (CDV) infection neurological signs in veterinary clinics. Objectives: This clinical study aimed to investigate the effects of AP combined with electroacupuncture (EA) on neurological function in dogs infected by CDV. Methods: Twenty-four CDV-infected dogs with neurological sequelae were recruited to receive weekly AP/EA sections for 24 weeks. Neurological improvements were assessed before each AP/EA session using a modified scoring system. Data were analyzed using the McNemar test, Friedman test, Fisher's exact test, and Kaplan-Meier curves (p < 0.05). Results: Neurological scores improved from seven to 24 weeks after AP/EA treatment compared with pretreatment scores (p < 0.001). Significant improvements were recorded over time for functional limb recovery, cranial nerve deficits, mental status (p = 0.025 - 0.014), and urinary function (p < 0.001). Myoclonus was improved and entirely reversed in 75% and 25% of the dogs, respectively. At the end of treatment, the proportion of dogs with normal proprioception, posture, hopping (p < 0.001), and superficial pain sensation responses (p = 0.004) was greater than pretreatment values. Conclusion: AP/EA therapy promoted significant neurological recovery in CDV-infected dogs and may be considered within the chronic phase of the disease to improve motor and sensory rehabilitation. However, these results are preliminary and must be confirmed by further investigations.

Donkey-derived anti-CDV IgG, as a passive immunotherapy agent, can effectively increase survival rates of the experimental CDV-infected dogs.

BACKGROUND: Humoral immunity plays an important role in the prevention of canine distemper. Anti-CD virus (CDV) antibody has strong antiviral activity and is widely used in the treatment of CD. However, with the increase of CD cases, the availability of therapeutic CD antibody fell short of the clinical needs. RESULTS: The high-titer antiserum with the high-titer neutralizing activity against CDV was obtained from the donkeys (Dezhou Donkey) immunized with the inactivated CDV vaccine. The donkey anti-CDV IgG was purified from the donkey serum, which was identified to significantly inhibit the CDV replication in the cultured Vero cells and effectively reduce the clinical symptoms and increase the survival rates (75%) of CDV-infected dogs (Shih-tzu Dog), similar to that treated with the dog-derived anti-CDV IgG. These results indicate that donkey-derived IgG is a potential substitute for dog-derived IgG to treat the CD in clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of donkey-derived anti-CDV IgG can ameliorate clinical symptoms and inhibit virus replication, thereby increasing the survival of CDV-infected dogs. This study opens up a new source of therapeutic antibody for CD treatment.

Multi-targeted gene silencing strategies inhibit replication of Canine morbillivirus.

BACKGROUND: Canine morbilivirus (canine distemper virus, CDV) is a highly contagious pathogen associated with high morbidity and mortality in susceptible carnivores. Although there are CDV vaccines available, the disease poses a huge threat to dogs and wildlife hosts due to vaccine failures and lack of effective treatment. Thus, the development of therapeutics is an urgent need to achieve rapid outbreak control and reduce mortality in target species. Gene silencing by RNA interference has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach against different human and animal viruses. In this study, plasmid-based short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) against three different regions in either CDV nucleoprotein (N), or large polymerase (L) genes and recombinant adenovirus-expressing N-specific multi-shRNAs were generated. Viral cytopathic effect, virus titration, plaque-forming unit reduction, and real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis were used to check the efficiency of constructs against CDV. RESULTS: In CDV-infected VerodogSLAM cells, shRNA-expressing plasmids targeting the N gene markedly inhibited the CDV replication in a dose-dependent manner, with viral genomes and titers being decreased by over 99%. Transfection of plasmid-based shRNAs against the L gene displayed weaker inhibition of viral RNA level and virus yield as compared to CDV N shRNAs. A combination of shRNAs targeting three sites in the N gene considerably reduced CDV RNA and viral titers, but their effect was not synergistic. Recombinant adenovirus-expressing multiple shRNAs against CDV N gene achieved a highly efficient knockdown of CDV N mRNAs and successful inhibition of CDV replication. CONCLUSIONS: We found that this strategy had strong silencing effects on CDV replication in vitro. Our findings indicate that the delivery of shRNAs using plasmid or adenovirus vectors potently inhibits CDV replication and provides a basis for the development of therapeutic strategies for clinical trials.

Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus murinus LbP2 on clinical parameters of dogs with distemper-associated diarrhea.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus murinus native strain (LbP2) on general clinical parameters of dogs with distemper-associated diarrhea. Two groups of dogs over 60 d of age with distemper and diarrhea were used in the study, which was done at the Animal Hospital of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay. The dogs were treated orally each day for 5 d with the probiotic or with a placebo (vehicle without bacteria). Clinical parameters were assessed and scored according to a system specially designed for this study. Blood parameters were also measured. Administration of the probiotic significantly improved the clinical score of the patients, whereas administration of the placebo did not. Stool output, fecal consistency, mental status, and appetite all improved in the probiotic-treated dogs. These results support previous findings of beneficial effects with the probiotic L. murinus LbP2 in dogs. Thus, combined with other therapeutic measures, probiotic treatment appears to be promising for the management of canine distemper-associated diarrhea.

L'objectif de la présente étude était d'évaluer l'effet d'une souche indigène du probiotique Lactobacillus murinus (LbP2) sur des paramètres cliniques généraux de chiens avec une diarrhée associée au distemper. Deux groupes de chiens âgés de plus de 60 jours avec du distemper et de la diarrhée ont fait partie de l'étude réalisée à l'hôpital de la Faculté vétérinaire de l'Université de l'Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay. Les chiens ont été traités quotidiennement par voie orale pendant 5 j avec le probiotique ou avec un placebo (véhicule sans les bactéries). Des paramètres cliniques ont été mesurés et notés selon un système conçu spécifiquement pour l'étude. Des paramètres sanguins ont également été mesurés. L'administration du probiotique améliorait significativement le pointage clinique des patients, alors que l'administration du placebo n'avait aucun effet. La production de selles, la consistance fécale, l'état mental, et l'appétit se sont tous améliorés chez les chiens traités avec le probiotique. Ces résultats confirment des résultats antérieurs d'effets bénéfiques du probiotique L. murinus LbP2 chez les chiens. Ainsi, combiner à d'autres mesures thérapeutiques, le traitement probiotique semble prometteur pour la gestion de diarrhée canine associée au distemper.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Controversial results of therapy with mesenchymal stem cells in the acute phase of canine distemper disease.

Distemper disease is an infectious disease reported in several species of domestic and wild carnivores. The high mortality rate of animals infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) treated with currently available therapies has driven the study of new efficacious treatments. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy is a promising therapeutic option for many degenerative, hereditary, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize stem cells derived from the canine fetal olfactory epithelium and to assess the systemic response of animals infected with CDV to symptomatic therapy and treatment with MSCs. Eight domestic mongrel dogs (N = 8) were divided into two groups: support group (SG) (N = 5) and support group + cell therapy (SGCT) (N = 3), which were monitored over 15 days. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 6, 9, 12, and 15 to assess blood count and serum biochemistry (urea, creatinine, alanine transferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total protein, albumin, and globulin), and urine samples were obtained on days 0 and 15 for urinary evaluation (urine I). The results showed a high mortality rate (SG = 4 and SGCT = 2), providing inadequate data on the clinical course of CDV infection. MSC therapy resulted in no significant improvement when administered during the acute phase of canine distemper disease, and a prevalence of animals with high mortality rate was found in both groups due to the severity of symptoms.

'Saving the lives of our dogs': the development of canine distemper vaccine in interwar Britain.

This paper examines the successful campaign in Britain to develop canine distemper vaccine between 1922 and 1933. The campaign mobilized disparate groups around the common cause of using modern science to save the nation's dogs from a deadly disease. Spearheaded by landed patricians associated with the country journal The Field, and funded by dog owners and associations, it relied on collaborations with veterinary professionals, government scientists, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the commercial pharmaceutical house the Burroughs Wellcome Company (BWC). The social organization of the campaign reveals a number of important, yet previously unexplored, features of interwar science and medicine in Britain. It depended on a patronage system that drew upon a large base of influential benefactors and public subscriptions. Coordinated by the Field Distemper Fund, this system was characterized by close relationships between landed elites and their social networks with senior science administrators and researchers. Relations between experts and non-experts were crucial, with high levels of public engagement in all aspects of research and vaccine development. At the same time, experimental and commercial research supported under the campaign saw dynamic interactions between animal and human medicine, which shaped the organization of the MRC's research programme and demonstrated the value of close collaboration between veterinary and medical science, with the dog as a shared object and resource. Finally, the campaign made possible the translation of 'laboratory' findings into field conditions and commercial products. Rather than a unidirectional process, translation involved negotiations over the very boundaries of the 'laboratory' and the 'field', and what constituted a viable vaccine. This paper suggests that historians reconsider standard historical accounts of the nature of patronage, the role of animals, and the interests of landed elites in interwar British science and medicine.

Efeitos colaterais do uso da ribavirina, prednisona e DMSO em cães naturalmente infectados pelo vírus da cinomose / The side effects of ribavirin, prednisone and DMSO in dogs naturally infected by canine distemper virus

O estudo tem o objetivo de identificar efeitos indesejáveis da ribavirina, prednisona e DMSO em cães naturalmente infectados com o vírus da cinomose. Foram utilizados 60 cães apresentando quadro neurológico da cinomose com evolução de 10 dias. Os animais foram internados e receberam tratamento de suporte; foram avaliados diariamente e realizados hemograma, dosagem bioquímica e exame de urina tipo I. Os grupos 1 e 2 foram tratados com ribavirina e sua associação com DMSO; os grupos 3 e 4 com DMSO e prednisona e o grupos 5 com ribavirina e prednisona e o grupo 6 com ribavirina, prednisona e DMSO. Os animais foram anestesiados para a colheita de líquor, medula óssea e sangue, antes do tratamento para diagnóstico através da RT-PCR. As amostras negativas foram analisadas pela técnica de hn-PCR. Todos os animais apresentaram resultado positivo em pelo menos uma das duas reações. O efeito adverso da ribavirina e a sua associação com a prednisona foi a anemia hemolítica, que foi confirmada pela observação de bilirrubina na urina apenas dos cães tratados com ribavirina.

The present study aims at the identification of undesirable effects of ribavirin, predinisone and DMSO in dogs naturally infected by canine distemper virus. The research analyzed 60 dogs with clinical neurological signs and 10 days of evolution. The animals were hospitalized for the appropriate support treatment; were daily observed, and complete blood cells count, biochemical analysis, and urine exam type I were conducted. Groups 1 and 2 were treated with ribavirin and its combination with DMSO; Groups 3 and 4 treated with prednisone and DMSO, Group 5 treated with ribavirin and prednisone, while Group 6 with ribavirin, prednisone and DMSO. Before the treatment, animals were anesthetized for the cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow and blood samples collection for the diagnosis based on RT-PCR. The negative samples were analyzed using the hn-PCR technique. All the animals presented positive results in at least one of the 2 tests. The adverse result of ribavirin and its association with prednisone was characterized by haemolytic anemia, confirmed by the evaluation of bilirrubin occurrence only in the urine of dogs treated with ribavirin.

Outbreak of canine distemper in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

In 2006 an outbreak of canine distemper affected 14 young domestic ferrets in Barcelona, Spain. Their clinical signs included a reduced appetite, lethargy, dyspnoea, coughing, sneezing, mucopurulent ocular and nasal discharges, facial and perineal dermatitis, diarrhoea, splenomegaly and fever. Late in the course of the disease, general desquamation and pruritus, and hyperkeratotic/crusting dermatitis of the lips, eyes, nose, footpads, and perineal area were observed. None of the ferrets developed neurological signs. Non-regenerative anaemia and high serum concentrations of alpha- and beta-globulins were the most common laboratory findings. Most of the animals died or were euthanased because of respiratory complications. Postmortem there were no signs of lung collapse. Distemper was diagnosed by direct immunofluorescence of conjunctival swabs or pcr of several organs, and histology revealed the characteristic eosinophilic intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusion bodies of canine distemper virus in several organs. The minimum incubation periods calculated for six of the ferrets were 11 to 56 days, and in 13 of the ferrets the signs of disease lasted 14 to 34 days. Inclusion bodies compatible with infection by herpesvirus were found in the lungs of one of the ferrets.

Moquillo nervioso: un caso incurable? / Nervous pip: an incurable case?

Este trabajo tiene por objeto presentarles un caso de mi práctica clínica que por su gravedad encerraba un verdadero desafío. El paciente tenía un pronóstico incurable y se había aconsejado al propietario realizar una eutanasia lo antes posible. Describiré los síntomas que se pudieron obtener en la consulta, la repertorización, la elección del medicamento y también la evolución del cuadro clínico descripto (AU)

Moquillo nervioso: un caso incurable? / Nervous pip: an incurable case?

Este trabajo tiene por objeto presentarles un caso de mi práctica clínica que por su gravedad encerraba un verdadero desafío. El paciente tenía un pronóstico incurable y se había aconsejado al propietario realizar una eutanasia lo antes posible. Describiré los síntomas que se pudieron obtener en la consulta, la repertorización, la elección del medicamento y también la evolución del cuadro clínico descripto

Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system in dogs.

Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) are important causes of seizures in dogs. Specific diseases include canine distemper, rabies, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, and pug dog encephalitis. Inflammatory disorders should be considered when a dog with seizures has persistent neurological deficits, suffers an onset of seizures at less than 1 or greater than 5 years of age, or exhibits signs of systemic illness. A thorough history, examination, and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid are important in the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases. However, even with extensive diagnostic testing, a specific etiology is identified in less than two thirds of dogs with inflammatory diseases of the CNS.

Tratamento homeopatico de um quadro neurologico de cinomose num canino adulto / Homeopathic treatment of distemper encephalitis in an adult dog

A autora relata o tratamento homeopatico de um quadro clinico de encefalite causada pelo virus da cinomose, num canino da raca Boxer, femea e de dois anos e meio de idade, atraves dos preceitos hahnemanianos

Tratamento homeopatico de um quadro neurologico de cinomose num canino adulto / Homeopathic treatment of distemper encephalitis in an adult dog

A autora relata o tratamento homeopatico de um quadro clinico de encefalite causada pelo virus da cinomose, num canino da raca Boxer, femea e de dois anos e meio de idade, atraves dos preceitos hahnemanianos