This study was carried out to investigate the distribution of inclusion bodies in the tissues as well as to observe the general histopathological lesions of dogs infected with canine distemper. And also, the reliability of diagnostic values of inclusion bodies and the distribution of viral antigen in tissues were inspected by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibody.
The results obtained were as follows;
1. Pneumonia observed in dogs infected with canine distemper virus was classified into interstitial, broncho-, and broncho-interstitial pneumonia histopathologically. Each occurring ratio was 35, 45 and 20%.
2. Histopathological classification of the canine distemper encephalitis was 20% in acute, 60% in subacute, and 20% in chronic encephalitis, respectively.
3. The organs in which inclusion bodies were predominantly distributed were stomach(82.6%), cerebellum(62.9%), lung(62.1%), cerebrum(50.0%), urinary bladder (46.1%), kidney(36.0%) and pancreas(25.0%). Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were mainly observed in the organs except the brain.
4. Canine distemper virus antigens were detected in the numerous tissues as well as in the inclusion bodies observed in the various organs. Antigen detection ratios in the lung, cerebellum and cerebrum were 68.9, 70.4 and 52.2%, respectively. These ratios were somewhat higher than those of inclusion bodies observed in the organs.
5. Canine distemper virus was mainly distributed in astrocytes and ependymal cells in the brain
These results suggested that the histopathologic diagnosis of canine distemper was reliable, and the spread of canine distemper virus in the brain was related with cerebrospinal fluid pathway.
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