ABSTRACT
Canine distemper virus (CDV) infection is a pantropic endemic and epidemic viral disease principally of the Canidae and their close relatives. It is world-wide in its distribution and manifests itself as an acute contagious disease with clinical signs of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and/or nervous manifestations. Canine distemper virus is a somewhat difficult virus to propagate in vitro. It is difficult to isolate from affected animals with any regularity, and it is exceedingly difficult to propagate the virus in its virulent form in vitro. Viral cytopathology is more obvious and more dramatic in young, actively growing cell cultures. Virtually every veterinary biological supply house offers a range of products with CDV included in them. One inoculation into a CDV-susceptible clinically healthy, normal dog, will provide effective and probably lifelong immunity. Under typical clinical circumstances, immunity can be assured by delivering the product according to manufacturer’s instructions to the animal or animals in question.
