Pathological and Molecular Investigation of Canine Distemper Virus: Phylogenetic analysis of co-circulating genetic lineages based on H and F genes

Abstract Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a multi-systemic, highly contagious virus that infects a wide variety of carnivore species, ranging from subclinical to fatal disease. In this study, dogs with clinically suspected Canine distemper were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the obtained partial H and F gene sequences and the sequences were compared with CDV strains obtained from the GenBank. Histopathologically, characteristic intracytoplasmic and/or intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in the CNS, lung, stomach, small intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen with encephalitis, interstitial/bronchointerstitial pneumonia, gastroenteritis. In addition, CDV antigens were detected in all tissues with characteristic histopathological findings of CDV antigens were detected in all tissues with characteristic histopathological findings of Canine Distemper. The antigens were more intense in bronchial and bronchiolar with interstitial and bronchointerstitial pneumoni and inclusion bodies, syncytial cells. It was determined with the phylogenetic map created at the end of the sequence analysis that European and Arctic strains are circulating together in the region.