case 2010-8 dana altenburger, md anne chauvet, dvm fidelma kennedy, dvm gary s pearl, md, phd
TRANSCRIPT
Case 2010-8
Dana Altenburger, MD
Anne Chauvet, DVM
Fidelma Kennedy, DVM
Gary S Pearl, MD, PhD
History
The patient is a late teen male Bengal tiger that presented with a few week history of loss of balance and jaw drop
MRI and labs were non-contributory
Infectious disease titers were negative for tick borne disease and canine distemper virus
He continued to decline, progressing to semicoma and euthanasia was elected
Additional Information
The brain weight was 230 g
There was a small meningioma
The brain was otherwise grossly unremarkable
Gross brain
Microscopic Brain
Inclusion and Macrophages
Inclusion in spinal cord
Inclusion in Pons
These inclusions were located in the cerebellum, pons, medulla and cervical spinal cord
Cortex was spared
Discussion
LFB/PAS
Immunohistochemistry
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CDV
Canine Distemper Virus
Is a highly infectious morbillivirus within the paramyxovirus family
Family includes measles
Known to cause serious disease, with high mortality in susceptible species
Number of species it has been known to effect has been increasing
Canine Distemper Virus
Classically CDV is not pathogenic in lions and tigers
First reported as far back as the 1950s in Africa
First case in U.S. was in 1983
Though felines were not considered susceptible, seroconversion has been demonstrated in domestic cats with exposure to dogs with distemper
Additional diagnostic aid came with the development of the CDV immunohistochemical stain
Superior to inclusions alone
Risk Factors
Unknown
Theories include Exposure to dogs
Immune suppression
Concurrent illness Viral titers may be inaccurate with CDV infection
Biotype conversion of an otherwise self-limited infection
Additional Considerations
CDV vaccination should be considered in animals with potential for exposure
Comments
Dr Summers
Utility of CDV titers?
Additional comments
6/14/10
Comments by Dr. Brian Summers
6/14/10
2010-8 BENGAL TIGER
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986 DISTEMPER ENCEPHALITIS IN A LION
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986 DISTEMPER IN A LION (GIANT CELL PNEUMONIA)
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1994 REVIEW
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TanzaniaSerengeti National
Park,1994
Ngorongono Crater, 2001
6/14/10
References
Palmer DG, Huxtable CRR and Thomas JB: Immunohistochemical demonstration of canine distemper virus antigen as an aid in the diagnosis of canine distemper encephalomyelitis. Research in Veterinary Science 49: 177-181, 1990
Myers DL, Zurbriggen A, Lutz H and Pospischil A: Distemper: not a new disease in lions and tigers. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 4:180-184, 1997
Blythe LL, Schmitz JA, Roelke M and Skinner S: Chronic encephalomyelitis caused by canine distemper virus in a Bengal tiger. JAVMA 183:1159-1162, 1983.
Wood SL, Thomson GW and Haines DM: Canine distemper virus-like infection in a captive African lioness. Vet J 36: 34-35, 1995.