Case 2010-8

Dana Altenburger, MD

Anne Chauvet, DVM

Fidelma Kennedy, DVM

Gary S Pearl, MD, PhD

History

The patient is a late teen male Bengal tiger that presented with a few week history of loss of balance and jaw drop

MRI and labs were non-contributory

Infectious disease titers were negative for tick borne disease and canine distemper virus

He continued to decline, progressing to semicoma and euthanasia was elected

Additional Information

The brain weight was 230 g

There was a small meningioma

The brain was otherwise grossly unremarkable

Gross brain

Microscopic Brain

Inclusion and Macrophages

Inclusion in spinal cord

Inclusion in Pons

These inclusions were located in the cerebellum, pons, medulla and cervical spinal cord

Cortex was spared

Discussion

LFB/PAS

Immunohistochemistry

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Fifth level

CDV

Canine Distemper Virus

Is a highly infectious morbillivirus within the paramyxovirus family

Family includes measles

Known to cause serious disease, with high mortality in susceptible species

Number of species it has been known to effect has been increasing

Canine Distemper Virus

Classically CDV is not pathogenic in lions and tigers

First reported as far back as the 1950s in Africa

First case in U.S. was in 1983

Though felines were not considered susceptible, seroconversion has been demonstrated in domestic cats with exposure to dogs with distemper

Additional diagnostic aid came with the development of the CDV immunohistochemical stain

Superior to inclusions alone

Risk Factors

Unknown

Theories include Exposure to dogs

Immune suppression

Concurrent illness Viral titers may be inaccurate with CDV infection

Biotype conversion of an otherwise self-limited infection

Additional Considerations

CDV vaccination should be considered in animals with potential for exposure

Comments

Dr Summers

Utility of CDV titers?

Additional comments

6/14/10

Comments by Dr. Brian Summers

6/14/10

2010-8 BENGAL TIGER

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986 DISTEMPER ENCEPHALITIS IN A LION

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986 DISTEMPER IN A LION (GIANT CELL PNEUMONIA)

6/14/10

1994 REVIEW

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TanzaniaSerengeti National

Park,1994

Ngorongono Crater, 2001

6/14/10

References

Palmer DG, Huxtable CRR and Thomas JB: Immunohistochemical demonstration of canine distemper virus antigen as an aid in the diagnosis of canine distemper encephalomyelitis. Research in Veterinary Science 49: 177-181, 1990

Myers DL, Zurbriggen A, Lutz H and Pospischil A: Distemper: not a new disease in lions and tigers. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 4:180-184, 1997

Blythe LL, Schmitz JA, Roelke M and Skinner S: Chronic encephalomyelitis caused by canine distemper virus in a Bengal tiger. JAVMA 183:1159-1162, 1983.

Wood SL, Thomson GW and Haines DM: Canine distemper virus-like infection in a captive African lioness. Vet J 36: 34-35, 1995.