Epidemiology of canine distemper and canine parvovirus in domestic dogs in urban and rural areas of the Araucanía region in Chile

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 178; no. 3-4; pp. 260 - 264
• Main Authors: Acosta-Jamett, G., Surot, D., Cortés, M., Marambio, V., Valenzuela, C., Vallverdu, A., Ward, M.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 05.08.2015
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Base Sequence; Canine distemper; Canine parvovirus; Chile - epidemiology; Distemper - epidemiology; Distemper - virology; Distemper Virus, Canine - immunology; Distemper Virus, Canine - isolation & purification; Dogs; Domestic dog; Genome, Viral - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Parvoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Parvoviridae Infections - veterinary; Parvoviridae Infections - virology; Parvovirus, Canine - immunology; Parvovirus, Canine - isolation & purification; Questionnaire survey; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serosurvey; Species Specificity; Chile; Questionnaire survey; Canine parvovirus; Domestic dog; Serosurvey; Canine distemper
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.05.012

•CDV and CPV seroprevalence were higher in urban areas.•CDV and CPV seroprevalence were higher with increasing dog age.•Increasing numbers of dogs per household were a risk factor for CDV.•Hunting or herding were a risk factor for CPV.•Control of these pathogens is recommended for preventing spill-over to wild canids. To assess whether the seroprevalence of canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) in domestic dogs is higher in urban versus rural areas of the Araucanía region in Chile and risk factors for exposure, a serosurvey and questionnaire survey at three, urban-rural paired sites was conducted from 2009 to 2012. Overall, 1161 households were interviewed of which 71% were located in urban areas. A total of 501 blood samples were analysed. The overall CDV and CPV seroprevalences were 61% (CI 90%: 58–70%) and 47% (CI 90%: 40–49%), and 89% (CI 90%: 85–92%) and 72% (CI 90%: 68–76%) in urban and rural areas, respectively. The higher seroprevalence in domestic dogs in urban areas suggests that urban domestic dogs might be a maintenance host for both CDV and CPV in this region. Due to the presence of endangered wild canids populations in areas close to these domestic populations, surveillance and control of these pathogens in urban dog populations is needed a priority.