Canine Infectious Disease

Question 1

Significant Canine Infectious Diseases in Animal Shelters

Answer 1

• Parvovirus
• Adenovirus
• Distemper Virus
• Influenza
• Canine Infectious Respiratory Diseas Complex (CIRDC)
• Rabies

Question 2

Parvovirus

Answer 2

• Small, single stranded, non-enveloped DNA virus
• 2 types:
  
  • CPV1 and CPV 2
• Transmission:
  
  • Direct: fecal-oral contact with infective feces
  • Indirect: fomites contaminated with infective feces
• Puppies between 6 weeks and 6 months are most susceptible
• Diagnosis: ELISA snap test, PCR
  
  • ELISA detects antigen in feces
  • PCR is useful for identifying types and subtypes
• Most common clinical signs:
  
  • Acute gastroenteritis
    
    • lethargy and inappetence progressing to Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
  • Acute myocarditis in fetal puppies
  • bone marrow suppression
• Treatment: supportie care
  
  • IV or subcutaneous fluids
  • Anitbiotics to prevent secondary infections
  • Antiemetics & gastroprotectants
• Prevention:
  
  • Vaccinate on intake
  • Good hygiene practices

Question 3

Adenovirus

Answer 3

• Double-stranded DNA virus in the Adenoviridae family
  
  • 2 types Adenovirus 1 & 2
• Transmission via aerosol droplets
  
  • Both direct and indirect modes or transmissino are possible
• Diagnosis can be made via PCR
  
  • Adenovirus is one of many pathogens that are included on the Canine Respiratory PCR panel
• Clinical signs can vary from none / asymptomatic to severe
  
  • cough
  • tonsilities
  • interstitial pneumonia
• Treatment: supportive care
  
  • Isolate infected individuals whenever possible
• Prevention: vaccinate on intake

Question 4

Distemper

Answer 4

• Enveloped RNA virus
• Transmitted thrugh aerosol droplets
  
  • Direct conact with infective aerosol droplets is most common, but indirect transmission is also possible
• Susceptibility is similar to that of parvo
  
  • 3-6 months of age
  • susceptibility conincideswih a decline in maternal antibodies after weaning
• Incubation usually lasts 1 - 4 weeks, but may be longer
• Diagnosis is made primarily through PCR
  
  • ELISA snap test is available, but it detects high antibody concentrtions and so can have false positive
• Clinical disease is biphasic
  
  • Initial sypmtoms may include a transient fever, lethargy, anorexia
    
    • this stage often goes unnotived
  • Subsequent signs vary from mild (asymptomatic) to severe, life threatening disease
    
    • upper respiratory infection, gastrointestinal upset, neurologic signs
• Treatment
  
  • Supportive care
    
    • Intesity of care can vary widely due to variable nature of disease
  • Humane euthanasia may indicated in severe cases or cases where isolation is not possible
• Prevention: Vaccinate on intake

Question 5

Canine Influenza

Answer 5

• Enveloped RNA virus
• Multiple strains:
  
  • H3N2, caused an outbreak last year in Oakland
  • H3N8, most commonly associated with Chicago outbreak in 2015
• Transmitted via aerosol droplets
  
  • Transmission can be direct contact or indirect via fomits
• Diagnosis via PCR or serology ELISA
• Clinical signs again can be variable from none to severe:
  
  • Asymptomatic dogs can still be infectious
  • Peracute disease can cause suppurative or hemorrhagic pneumonia, which can be fatal
• Treatment: supportive care
  
  • Rest, fluids, isolaitonis vital
• Prevention: vaccinate
  
  • THere are vaccines available, but they are not as widely used as DA2PPV
  • Their use has increased as outbreaks have become more frequent in shelters

Question 6

CIRDC

Answer 6

• AKA “Infectious tracheobronchitis”, “KENNEL COUGH”
• Multitude of possible causative agents
  
  • Source can be viral, bacterial, or a little bit of both
    
    • Possible viral pahtogens; adenovirus, distemper vrus, parainfluenza
    • Bacterial causes: Bordetella bronchisptica, Mycoplasma, streptococcus equi, subspecies zooepidemicus
• Diagnosis varies by causative agent
  
  • a canine respiratory PCR panel is available that test for a wide number of possible causative agents
• Clinical signs
  
  • Clear to mucoid nasal and/or ocular disharge
  • Classic “honking” cough
    
    • May be able to elicit cough on tracheal palpation
  • Brochopneumonia can develop in severe cases
• Treatment:
  
  • Supportive care
  • Antibiotics
• Prevention
  
  • Vaccinate on intake
  • Good facility design
    
    • Ventilation, reduce stress, adequate isolation

Question 7

Rabies

Answer 7

• Enveloped RNA virus of the rhabdovirus family, lyssavirus genus
• Transmission: Direct contact between broken kin and infected saliva
  
  • Often through bite wounds
  • Incubation period can be weeks to months (to years)
    
    • disease can only be transmitted during active infection
• Dagnosis: noantemortem diagnostic tests
  
  • Direct fluorescent antibody testing post-mortem
• Clinical signs: vary. Start non-specific, but profess to famous neurologic disease
  
  • fever, loss of appetite, itching at bite site
  • Neurologic signs can be classified as urious or paralytic
• No treatment available 100% fatal
• Prevention: Vaccinate
  
  • ​this is the only disease we vaccinate for at time of spay/neuter or adoption, NOT on intake
    
    • Likelihood of rabies being spread in the shelter environment is low

Question 8

Take-home message:

Answer 8

• PREVENTION is key for managing infectious disease in shelters
  
  • many canine infectious diseases are preventable
    
    • vaccination on intake provides the highest level of protection possible in shelter environments
• ISOLATION is imperative to stop spread
  
  • Most of the diseass we discussed today are treatable, even in shelters, but without proper isolation, the disease will spread rapidly despite th shelter employee’s best efforts
    
    • approprate use of PPE is also ital to prevent diseas spread
    • A sleter has to weigh resources (manpower, money, space) whn deciding whether or not to treat a disease
• LENGTH OF STAY
  
  • The best thing we can do for an animl in a shelter is to get them out. The longer they’re in a shelter, the higher their chance of developing infectious disease