Successful treatment of coagulation disorders and hypoalbuminaemia in a puppy with Infectious Canine Hepatitis.

Due to high vaccination coverage of the dog population in Western and Middle Europe, veterinarians are usually not familiar with clinical signs and treatment of Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH). This case report describes a 4-month-old female mixed breed dog that was imported from Bulgaria. According to the history, the puppy was presented with lethargy, pyrexia, icterus and melaena. On clinical examination, the dog additionally exhibited a painful abdomen and bleeding tendency at the venous puncture sites. Blood analysis revealed anaemia, left shift without leucocytosis, increased liver enzymes and prolonged coagulation times. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and subsequently sequence analysis performed out of urine confirmed Canine Adenovirus 1 (CAV-1) as the causative agent of the disease. Peripheral oedema developed on the dog´s head and limbs during the progression of the disease due to severe hypoalbuminaemia. Initial treatment of the puppy included transfusion of whole blood and fresh frozen plasma. Hypoalbuminaemia was treated by transfusion using human albumin. On day eight after starting the treatment, the dog was released from the hospital due to an unremarkable clinically condition. This case report indicates that ICH might become a re-emerging disease by means of rising dog imports. Especially, the severe form of ICH can be associated with several life-threatening complications that require hospitalisation and intensive care treatment.

Wolf (Canis lupus) as canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) sentinel for the endangered cantabrian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos).

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) causes infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) and has recently been described as a cause of death among endangered populations of European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) in the Cantabrian mountain range in Asturias, Spain. Sympatric wild and domestic carnivores can act as reservoirs of the virus and likely spread it into the environment and subsequently transmit it to brown bears. The present work investigates the prevalence and geo-temporal distribution of CAdV-1 among free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus) in Asturias from 2009 to 2018, during which three fatal cases of ICH were reported among brown bears in the region. A total of 149 wolves were analysed in this study, of which 21 (14%) were found to have CAdV-1 DNA based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of spleen samples. Prevalence of the virus was similar between males and females. All but one of the 20 CAdV-1-positive animals of estimable age were younger than 2 years, and only one of the 46 adult animals (>2 years) tested positive. Prevalence was highest in the western area of Asturias and during 2010 and 2011. Our results confirm that CAdV-1 is circulating in Asturian free-ranging wolves, supporting their possible role as virus reservoirs and sentinels in the region of this emerging disease in brown bears.

Naturally Acquired Infectious Canine Hepatitis in Two Captive Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) Puppies.

We report the clinicopathological manifestations of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV 1) infection in captive-born naturally infected maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Two 3-month-old maned wolves presented with lethargy, emesis, dehydration, pallor, hypothermia, leucocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphopaenia and thrombocytopaenia. One of the puppies died shortly after admission, with gross changes that included marked gastrointestinal petechiae, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and pulmonary haemorrhage. Histologically, large eosinophilic intranuclear body inclusions were found in the liver and kidneys. The other wolf had elevated alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities, and later developed anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, bilirubinaemia, bilirubinuria, haematuria and proteinuria. Ultrasound demonstrated hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, inguinal lymphadenomegaly and lesions suggestive of gastritis and enteritis. Despite supportive treatment, the animal died. At necropsy, there was icterus, subcutaneous oedema in the inguinal region and hindlimbs, subchondral haemorrhage of articular cartilage of the femoral-tibial-patellar and tarsal joints of both hindlimbs, lymphadenomegaly, bronchopneumonia, hepatomegaly and petechiae in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Microscopically, there was a severe necrotizing hepatitis with intranuclear viral inclusions, fibrinous-necrotizing splenitis, non-suppurative meningoencephalitis and interstitial nephritis. A quantitative PCR test for CAV 1 using DNA extracted from peripheral blood was positive. The clinicopathological findings are similar to those of CAV 1 infection in dogs and other canids.

Establishment of a Simple and Efficient Reverse Genetics System for Canine Adenoviruses Using Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes.

Canine adenoviruses (CAdVs) are divided into pathotypes CAdV1 and CAdV2, which cause infectious hepatitis and laryngotracheitis in canid animals, respectively. They can be the backbones of viral vectors that could be applied in recombinant vaccines or for gene transfer in dogs and in serologically naïve humans. Although conventional plasmid-based reverse genetics systems can be used to construct CAdV vectors, their large genome size creates technical difficulties in gene cloning and manipulation. In this study, we established an improved reverse genetics system for CAdVs using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), in which genetic modifications can be efficiently and simply made through BAC recombineering. To validate the utility of this system, we used it to generate CAdV2 with the early region 1 gene deleted. This mutant was robustly generated and attenuated in cell culture. The results suggest that our established BAC-based reverse genetics system for CAdVs would be a useful and powerful tool for basic and advanced practical studies with these viruses.

Comparison of immunity against canine distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus after vaccination with two multivalent canine vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Viral diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in puppies. There is a belief among veterinary practitioners and even educational institutions that the vaccines made in Brazil against canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine adenovirus (CAV) are ineffective or only partially effective. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at comparing the immunity of two multivalent vaccines in adult dogs in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. METHODS: The study was carried out at the Animal Protection Association and a total of 60 adult mongrel dogs were selected and divided into two groups. Group A was immunized with two doses of Elevencell® vaccine and Group B received two doses of imported vaccine from the United States; each group was made up of 14 females and 14 males. RESULTS: In group A, the Elevencell vaccine generated a protective antibody titre against CDV in 26 out of 28 subjects (92.85%), CPV in 24 out of 28 subjects (85.71%) and CAV in 26 out of 28 subjects (92.85%). In group B, the imported US vaccine generated a protective antibody titre against CDV in 22 out of 28 subjects (78.57), CPV in 21 out of 28 subjects (75%) and CAV in 25 out of 28 subjects (89.28%). There was no statistical difference between titres generated between vaccine types for any of the three diseases tested. CONCLUSION: Elevencell vaccine titres were not inferior to the imported US vaccine in conferring protective titres against CDV, CPV and CAH, which confirms the efficacy of this product.

Transarterial chemoembolization versus percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for recurrent unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Development of a prognostic nomogram.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) are commonly used to treat intrahepatic recurrent liver cancers. However, there is no information regarding their effectiveness in patients with recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after resection. METHODS: A total of 275 patients with localized recurrent ICC who received either TACE (n = 183) or PMCT (n = 92) were studied. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare prognostic impact of TACE and PMCT. Prognostic factors for TACE and PMCT were identified respectively. Predictive nomograms for each TACE and PMCT were developed using the Cox independent prognostic factors and were validated in independent patient groups by receiver operating characteristic curves and area under curve values. RESULTS: Both TACE and PMCT provided curativeness in partial patients (5-year overall survival: 21.4% and 6.1%, respectively), but TACE provided better survival benefit in both overall patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.97; P = 0.034) and propensity score matching analysis (HR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.47-0.98; P = 0.041). Independent prognostic factors for TACE were tumor size >5 cm, poor differentiation, and major resection, whereas poor differentiation, hepatitis B virus infection, cholelithiasis, and lymph node metastasis were identified for PMCT. Both predictive nomograms for TACE and PMCT were validated to be effective with area under curve values of 0.77 and 0.70, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TACE provided better survival benefits compared to PMCT. However, there was a disparity in prognostic factors, suggesting evaluation of the two nomograms may be supportive in modality selection. Further prospective validation studies are required for the results to be applied in clinical medicine.

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) in free-ranging European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos): A threat for Cantabrian population?

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) is responsible for infectious canine hepatitis. The disease has been described in captive American black bear (Ursus americanus) and European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos), with just one recently reported case in a cub of a free-ranging brown bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) from Alaska. The aim of this work is to summarize findings related to presence and associated mortality of CAdV-1 in 21 free-ranging Cantabrian brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos) submitted to necropsy in Asturias and Castilla y León (northwestern Spain) from 1998 to 2018. On the basis of the anatomopathological findings and laboratory results three free-ranging brown bears died due to infectious canine hepatitis, which is to our knowledge the first description of death due to this disease in free-ranging bears in Europe. Gross lesions consisted of petechial haemorrhages and congestion in different internal organs, haemorrhagic fluid in internal cavities, friable and yellowish liver and thickening of gall bladder. Microscopic lesions were observed mainly in liver, kidney and brain and consisted of multifocal necrosis of cells with presence of basophilic intranuclear inclusions. Immunohistochemical (IHC) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques were used to assess the presence of CAdV-1 in paraffin-embedded liver samples. Viral antigens were detected by IHC labelling within hepatocytes and Küppfer cells in the three animals. The presence of viral DNA was confirmed by qPCR in one of them. In order to evaluate the circulation of CAdV-1 in brown bears, a retrospective study was performed using both IHC and qPCR techniques in 11 and 12 additional brown bears, respectively. An extra brown bear was found positive by IHC. This study shows that CAdV-1 surveillance of brown bears and sympatric carnivores should be considered as major concern for the monitoring the population evolution throughout time in this endangered species.

Aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos da hepatite infecciosa canina: 15 casos / Epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of infectious canine hepatitis: 15 cases

Descrevem-se os principais aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos de casos de hepatite infecciosa canina diagnosticados no Laboratório de Patologia Animal da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, durante o período de janeiro de 2003 a dezembro de 2016. Dos 1.640 cães necropsiados, 15 foram diagnosticados como hepatite infecciosa canina (0,91%). Dos cães acometidos nove eram machos e seis fêmeas. As idades variaram de 45 dias a sete anos, sendo a maioria filhotes. Dez animais não apresentavam raça definida, quatro eram Poodles e um Rottweiler. A maioria dos cães não recebeu nenhum tipo de protocolo vacinal. Os cães eram oriundos dos municípios de Patos, São Mamede e Teixeira, pertencentes ao estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. A maioria dos cães apresentou curso clínico variando de hiperagudo a agudo. Os principais sinais clínicos foram convulsão, apatia e hiporexia. Na necropsia, as principais alterações foram observadas no fígado que se apresentava de pálido a alaranjado e com áreas irregulares avermelhadas na superfície capsular, além de acentuação do padrão lobular e edema na parede da vesícula biliar. Hemorragias foram observadas em vários órgãos. Na histopatologia havia necrose centrolobular de hepatócitos associada a corpúsculos de inclusão viral intranucleares, hemorragia e infiltrado inflamatório misto. O diagnóstico foi estabelecido com base nas características lesões histopatológicas e foi confirmado por imuno-histoquímica. A hepatite infecciosa canina ocorre ocasionalmente na Paraíba, acometendo particularmente cães jovens e não vacinados.(AU)

We described the main epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of canine infectious hepatitis diagnosed in the Laboratory of Animal Pathology of the Federal University of Campina Grande during the period from January 2003 to December 2016. Of the 1,640 necropsied dogs, 15 were diagnosed as infectious canine hepatitis (0.91%). Of the dogs affected nine were males and six females. The ages ranged from 45 days to seven years, being most of them young. Ten animals were mixed breed, four were Poodles and one Rottweiler. Most of the dogs do not received any vaccine protocol. The dogs came from the municipalities of Patos, São Mamede and Teixeira, from Paraiba, northeastern of Brazil. Most of the dogs presented clinical course varying from hyperacute to acute. The main clinical signs were seizure, apathy and hyporexia. At necropsy, the major alterations were observed in the liver, which was pale to orange and with irregular reddish areas on the capsular surface, besides accentuation of the lobular pattern and edema in the wall of the gallbladder. Hemorrhages were observed in several organs. In the histopathology there was centrolobular necrosis of hepatocytes associated with intranuclear viral inclusion bodies, hemorrhages and mixed inflammatory infiltrate. The diagnosis was established based on the characteristic histopathological lesions and was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Infectious canine hepatitis occurs occasionally in the Paraiba, affecting particularly young and unvaccinated dogs.(AU)

Infectious Canine Hepatitis in a Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis) from Alaska, USA.

We diagnosed infectious canine hepatitis in a free-ranging brown bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis) cub from Alaska, US, found dead in October 2015. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were present in hepatocytes, and immunohistochemistry showed reactivity to adenoviral antigens. Sequencing of the hexon protein of adenovirus showed 100% identity to canine adenovirus 1.

Novel sequence variants of viral hexon and fibre genes in two dogs with canine adenovirus type 1-associated disease.

There is little information on sequence variation of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), the aetiological agent of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH). This study reports hexon and fibre gene sequence variants of CAdV-1 in a dog with systemic ICH and a dog with the ocular form of the disease ('blue eye') in Northern Italy in 2013. One of the sequence variants matched a CAdV-1 fox sequence previously detected in Italy.

A Novel Recombinant Canine Adenovirus Type 1 Detected from Acute Lethal Cases of Infectious Canine Hepatitis.

In this study, canine adenoviruses (CAdVs) from two acute fatal cases of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) were analyzed using molecular detection and sequencing of the pVIII, E3, and fiber protein genes. Pathological findings in affected dogs were typical for CAdV-1 associated disease, characterized by severe centrilobular to panlobular necrohemorrhagic hepatitis and the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation in the terminal stages of disease. Comparison of partial genome sequences revealed that although these newly detected viruses mainly had CAdV-1 genome characteristics, their pVIII gene was more similar to that of CAdV-2. This likely suggests that a recombination has occurred between CAdV-1 and CAdV-2, which possibly explains the cause of vaccine failure or increased virulence of the virus in the observed ICH cases.

Canine adenovirus type 1 and Pasteurella pneumotropica co­infection in a puppy.

In 2008, a 2 months-old male German shepherd was presented with fever, depression, and evident organic wasting. The puppy died within 48 hours after the onset of clinical signs. A complete necropsy was performed. Bacteriological examination of samples from the brain, lung, liver, spleen, and bone marrow tested positive for Pasteurella pneumotropica. Histopathology demonstrated inflammatory and vascular lesions in the central nervous system and internal organs. Canine adenovirus type 1 nucleic acid was detected by polymerase chain reaction in the frozen brain but not in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver and lung samples. The positive PCR was subsequently confirmed by indirect fluorescent antibody testing of the paraffin-embedded brain and liver sections. Although the liver is the primary site of viral damage, these laboratory findings suggest that Canine adenovirus type 1 infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of neuropathological diseases in dogs and that adenoviral infections could promote septicaemia caused by opportunistic pathogens.

A duplex real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan technology for simultaneous detection and differentiation of canine adenovirus types 1 and 2.

Canine adenoviruses are a major cause of disease in dogs, coyotes, red foxes and wolves, as well as in other carnivores and marine mammals. Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) and canine adenovirus type 2 (CAdV-2) cause infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) and infectious tracheobronchitis (ITB), respectively. In this study, a duplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection and characterisation of CAdV-1 and CAdV-2 was developed by using a single primer pair and virus-specific probes. The assay was validated testing standard DNAs produced on purpose and clinical samples of various matrices known to be positive for CAdV-1, CAdV-2 or both viruses. Precise calculation of DNA loads in samples containing a wide range of viral amounts was allowed by generating a standard curve for absolute quantification. The assay was proven to be highly specific, since no cross-reactions with the different CAdV type was observed, and sensitive, being able to detect less than 10 copies of CAdV-1/CAdV-2 DNA. The low intra-assay and interassay coefficient of variations demonstrated a high repeatability, thus confirming the potential use of this assay for quantitative detection of CAdV-1 and CAdV-2 for rapid diagnosis and epidemiological investigations.

Infectious canine hepatitis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in wildlife rescue centres in the UK.

Outbreaks of infectious canine hepatitis are described in red foxes ( ITALIC! Vulpes vulpes) at two wildlife rescue centres in the UK. Disease occurred in two-month-old to four-month-old juvenile foxes, which were held in small enclosures in groups of three to eight animals. The foxes died or were euthanased after a short clinical course, sometimes including neurological signs and jaundice, with a high case fatality rate. Four red foxes submitted for postmortem examination had enlarged, congested livers, with rounded borders and mild accentuation of the lobular pattern. On histological examination, there was random, multifocal to massive hepatic necrosis, along with multifocal vasculitis in the central nervous system (CNS) and mild, multifocal glomerulonephritis. Intranuclear inclusion bodies, typical of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) infection, were present in hepatocytes, vascular endothelial cells in the CNS, renal glomeruli and renal tubular epithelial cells. CAV-1 was detected in tissues from affected foxes by PCR and sequencing. Congregation of juvenile foxes in wildlife rescue centres is likely to be a risk factor for transmission of CAV-1. Preventive measures in wildlife centres should be implemented to prevent the spread of the virus among conspecifics and to other susceptible species.

Assessing demographic and epidemiologic parameters of rural dog populations in India during mass vaccination campaigns.

Mass vaccination of dogs is a mainstay for efforts to control rabies and other viral pathogens. The success of such programs is a function of the ability to vaccinate sufficient proportions of animals to develop herd immunity. However, fully assessing success in reaching target vaccination-levels and in understanding the outcome of mass vaccination efforts is hindered if insufficient information is available on the demographics of dog populations and the prevalence of the targeted pathogens. While such information can sometimes be gained from questionnaire surveys, greater precision requires direct assessment of the dog populations. Here we show how such information can be gained from surveys of dogs conducted in association with mass-vaccination programs. We conducted surveys of dogs in six villages in rural Maharashtra, India, between February and July 2011 as part of an effort to reduce the risk of human rabies and virus transmission from dogs to wildlife. Mass vaccination efforts were conducted in each village, and paired with blood sample collection and photographic mark-recapture approaches to gain epidemiologic and demographic data. This data in turn facilitated estimates of dog abundance, population density and structure, vaccination coverage, and seroprevalence of antibodies against canine adenovirus (CAV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and canine distemper virus (CDV). The median dog population size for the six villages was 134 (range 90-188), the median dog population density was 719 dogs per km(2) (range 526-969), and the median human:dog ratio for these six villages was 34 (range 30-47). The median household:dog ratio for the six villages was 6 (range 5-8). Following vaccination efforts, the median vaccination coverage achieved was 34% (range 24-42%). The dog populations consisted mostly of adult dogs (67-86%) and the median sex ratio for the study area was male biased (1.55 males per female; range 0.9-2.5). The seroprevalence of antibodies against CAV, CPV and CDV was 68, 88 and 73%, respectively. Mass vaccination campaigns provide an opportunity to obtain vital epidemiological and demographic data, and develop a clearer understanding of the threats and impacts of diseases and disease control measures.

Molecular epidemiology of canine adenovirus type 1 and type 2 in free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Italy.

To date, no studies exist regarding the presence of canine adenovirus (CAdV) infection in foxes in Italy. Furthermore, the majority of worldwide investigations regarding the presence of CAdV in foxes have been carried out using common serological assays which are unable to differentiate between CAdV type 1 and CAdV type 2. To assess the presence of viral infection in Italian red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), thirty-two subjects shot during the regular hunting season in the province of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy) were sampled and tested using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay capable of distinguishing between CAdV type 1 and type 2. Two subjects were positive for CAdV-1 infection and one other for CAdV-2 infection. Sequence analysis of the two CAdV-1 viruses showed complete identity between them and a high genetic similarity with all reference strains sequenced in dogs in the last twenty years, indicating the presence of genetically stable CAdV-1 in red foxes in Italy which could easily be transmitted from the wild animal population to domestic dogs. Therefore, this is the first reliable identification of CAdV-2 in foxes, and cloning of the virus detected has revealed a possible coinfection involving two different CAdV-2 strains, raising new questions about the pathogenic role of CAdV-2 in wildlife. The presence of CAdV-1 and CAdV-2 infection in foxes could represent a problem for both wild animals and domestic dogs, and emphasises the central role of red foxes in maintaining these viruses in the territory.

DLA class II alleles and haplotypes are associated with risk for and protection from chronic hepatitis in the English Springer spaniel.

Chronic hepatitis (CH) is common in dogs in the United Kingdom. An increased prevalence of the disease is seen in the English Springer spaniel (ESS), and this breed suffer from a severe form with young to middle aged female dogs being predisposed. The disease shares histological features with those of human viral hepatitis, although the specific aetiological agent has not yet been identified. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether dog leucocyte antigen (DLA) class II alleles and haplotypes are associated with susceptibility/resistance to CH in the ESS. Sequence-based genotyping of the polymorphic exon 2 from DLA-DRB1, -DQA1 and -DQB1 class II loci were performed in 66 ESSs with CH and 84 healthy controls. There was a significant difference in the distribution of the protective alleles DRB1*00501 (3.0% vs. 12.0%, odds ratio [OR] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06-0.74) and DQB1*00501 (3.8% vs. 12.0%, OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.09-0.85) between cases and controls. The haplotype DLA-DRB1*00501/DQA1*00301/DQB1*00501 was present in 11.9% of controls and 3.0% of cases and was significantly associated with protection against disease development (OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.08-0.80). There was a significant difference in the distribution of the risk alleles DRB1*00601 (14.4% vs. 6.5%, OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.10-5.63) and DQB1*00701 (14.4% vs. 6.5%, OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.10-5.63) between cases and controls. A risk haplotype (DLA-DRB1*00601/DQA1*005011/DQB1*00701) was present in 14.4% of cases and 6.5% of controls and conferred an elevated risk of developing CH with an OR of 3.13 (95% CI = 1.20-8.26). These results demonstrate that DLA class II is significantly associated with risk and protection from developing CH in ESSs.

Sequence-independent VIDISCA-454 technique to discover new viruses in canine livers.

In many mammals, viruses cause hepatitis. Despite many efforts a specific virus responsible for canine idiopathic hepatitis has not been identified. The discovery of a viral etiology in canine hepatitis will promote the development of specific drugs and vaccines for the treatment of idiopathic hepatitis in dogs. The objective of this study was the application of the sequence-independent Virus Discovery cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (VIDISCA) technique combined with high through-put sequencing on a Roche-454 sequencer to identify unknown viruses. Liver tissue of a dog with idiopathic acute hepatitis was cultured on a canine liver cell line and the cell culture medium was submitted to the VIDISCA-454 technique. Without prior knowledge of the viral species involved, this technique identified Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) as the infecting agent. This demonstrates the power of VIDISCA-454 to identify viruses, independent of preliminary information about the genomic sequence. Consequently, the strategy of propagation in this cell line followed by the VIDISCA-454 technique is valuable to identify the viral etiology of idiopathic hepatitis in dogs.

Infectious canine hepatitis associated with prednisone treatment.

An 11-week-old, female Alaskan husky dog housed outdoors in the Yukon, Canada, was diagnosed with infectious canine hepatitis. The predisposing factors in this puppy for such a rare disease included inappropriate vaccination program, potential contact with endemic wildlife, and immunosuppression due to prednisone treatment.

Hépatite canine infectieuse associée au traitement par la prednisone. Une chienne Husky d'Alaska âgée de 11 semaines logée en plein air au Yukon, au Canada, a été diagnostiquée avec l'hépatite canine infectieuse. Les facteurs prédisposants chez ce chiot pour une telle maladie rare incluaient un programme de vaccination inadéquat, le contact potentiel avec des animaux sauvages indigènes et l'immunosuppression en raison du traitement avec de la prednisone.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Characterization of a canine homolog of hepatitis C virus.

An estimated 3% of the world's population is chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although HCV was discovered more than 20 y ago, its origin remains obscure largely because no closely related animal virus homolog has been identified; furthermore, efforts to understand HCV pathogenesis have been hampered by the absence of animal models other than chimpanzees for human disease. Here we report the identification in domestic dogs of a nonprimate hepacivirus. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the canine hepacivirus (CHV) confirmed it to be the most genetically similar animal virus homolog of HCV. Bayesian Markov chains Monte Carlo and associated time to most recent common ancestor analyses suggest a mean recent divergence time of CHV and HCV clades within the past 500-1,000 y, well after the domestication of canines. The discovery of CHV may provide new insights into the origin and evolution of HCV and a tractable model system with which to probe the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of diseases caused by hepacivirus infection.