Nosocomial Outbreak of Serious Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Kennel Cough) Caused by Canine Herpesvirus Infection

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 1176 - 1181
• Main Authors: Kawakami, Kazuo, Ogawa, Hiroyuki, Maeda, Ken, Imai, Ayako, Ohashi, Emi, Matsunaga, Satoru, Tohya, Yukinobu, Ohshima, Takahisa, Mochizuki, Masami
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.04.2010; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Animals; Canid herpesvirus 1; Canine herpesvirus; Clinical Veterinary Microbiology; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - veterinary; Cross Infection - virology; Disease Outbreaks; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA, Viral - genetics; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - virology; Dogs; Genotype; Herpesviridae Infections - epidemiology; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Herpesviridae Infections - virology; Herpesvirus 1, Canid - classification; Herpesvirus 1, Canid - genetics; Herpesvirus 1, Canid - isolation & purification; Molecular Epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - veterinary; Respiratory Tract Diseases - virology
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02128-09

Canine herpesvirus (CHV; Canid herpesvirus 1) is principally a perinatal pathogen of pregnant bitches and newborn pups and secondarily a respiratory tract pathogen of older pups and dogs. Infectious disease of the canine respiratory tract frequently occurs among dogs in groups, in which it is called " infectious tracheobronchitis" (ITB). Mortality from ITB is generally negligible, and the clinical importance of CHV as an ITB pathogen is considered to be low. The present report describes a novel ITB outbreak accompanied by death among aged dogs in an animal medical center. Most inpatient dogs had received medications that could induce immunosuppression. CHV was the only pathogen identified, and several CHV isolates were recovered in cell culture. No other viral pathogens or significant bacterial pathogens were found. Molecular and serological analyses revealed that the causative CHV isolates were from a single source but that none was a peculiar strain when the strains were compared with previous CHV strains. The virus had presumably spread among the dogs predisposed to infection in the center. The present results serve as a warning to canine clinics that, under the specific set of circumstances described, such serious CHV outbreaks may be expected wherever canine ITB occurs.