Canine Distemper Virus in Asiatic Lions of Gujarat State, India

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 25; no. 11; pp. 2128 - 2130
• Main Authors: Mourya, Devendra T., Yadav, Pragya D., Mohandas, Sreelekshmy, Kadiwar, R.F., Vala, M.K., Saxena, Akshay K., Shete-Aich, Anita, Gupta, Nivedita, Purushothama, P., Sahay, Rima R., Gangakhedkar, Raman R., Mishra, Shri C.K., Bhargava, Balram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.11.2019; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal Diseases - epidemiology; Animal Diseases - virology; Animals; Asiatic lion; Canine distemper virus; Canine Distemper Virus in Asiatic Lions of Gujarat State, India; Communicable diseases; Distemper Virus, Canine - genetics; DNA sequencing; Forests; Genes, Viral; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genomics; heminested PCR; India; India - epidemiology; Lion; Lions - virology; National parks; Nature reserves; Nervous system diseases; next generation sequencing; Parks; Polymerase chain reaction; Research Letter; RT-PCR; Transcription (Genetics); Wildlife; Wildlife conservation; India; Asia; heminested PCR; Gir National Park; viruses; next-generation sequencing; RT-PCR; Asiatic lion; Canine distemper virus; India
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2511.190120

In September 2018, an epizootic infection caused by canine distemper virus emerged in an Asiatic lion population in India. We detected the virus in samples from 68 lions and 6 leopards by reverse transcription PCR. Whole-genome sequencing analysis demonstrated the virus strain is similar to the proposed India-1/Asia-5 strain.