ABSTRACT
Canine parainfluenza (CPI) virus, an enveloped ribonucleic acid virus of the paramyxovirus group, is an upper respiratory viral pathogen of dogs. The virus replicates readily in primary cultures of canine kidney cells and in many different continuous cell lines. Several studies have evaluated the epizootiology of CPI infection in various canine populations. A survey in eastern Washington showed that 19 percent of the dogs had antibodies against CPI virus. The respiratory form occurs under natural conditions and within the canine population is by far the most common and important manifestation of disease. Two to three days after aerosol exposure, 100 percent of infected dogs without preexisting antibodies develop a rise in temperature, which lasts for 2 days. With the fluorescent antibody test, viral antigen was found in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa, trachea, lungs, tonsils, and pharynx.
