According to pathologists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the University of New Hampshire, a distinct strain of canine distemper virus, which is a widespread virus of importance to wildlife and domesticated dogs, has been identified in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont. No virus in this distinct subgroup of canine distemper virus has yet been reported in a domesticated dog.
Senior veterinary pathologist and assistant clinical professor, David Needle, said that a distinct strain of canine distemper virus is circulating in multiple wildlife species in two contiguous states in Northern New England. The senior pathologist explained that this strain is significantly distinct from the vaccine strains. A member of the genus Morbillivirus that includes measles, canine distemper virus is highly contagious and causes severe disease in infected animals.
The UNH pathologists discovered the new strain of canine distemper virus in collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, University of Georgia, Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative, N.H. Fish and Game, and Vermont Fish and Game. Over one year, pathologists diagnosed canine distemper virus infection in eight mostly carnivorous mammals in southeastern New Hampshire and North Central Vermont. The animals included three fishers, two gray foxes, one skunk, one raccoon, and one mink.
Pathologists discovered that a distinct strain of the virus that had been identified only in a single raccoon in Rhode Island in 2004 infected all the animals, which was not described in any publication. The eight animal cases also represent the only reports of any canine distemper virus isolated from New Hampshire and Vermont in the GenBank database.
Needle said that this situation could and may already be having an impact on the population of wild mesocarnivores in New Hampshire and New England. These animals are an integral part of the varied ecosystems of wild New Hampshire and New England, filling important niches in predator-prey relationships and pest control. Any decrease in wildlife populations is a loss to the vibrant wild diversity. The affected species also are fur-bearing mammals that serve as part of the cultural heritage of the northern sportsman.
Canine distemper virus vaccination is part of the core vaccine protocols for domesticated dogs. All dogs should be vaccinated routinely. Canine distemper virus infection in a dog is most often characterized by respiratory disease, oral and nasal discharge, gastroenteritis, and as the disease progresses, neurological disorder. This is a severe, highly pathogenic and highly contagious disease, so any suspected infection should be reported immediately to a veterinarian. And an unvaccinated animal must be vaccinated.
The researchers published the results of this case in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. The New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and the State of New Hampshire supported the research.
