Download Case 2010-8

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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Second level
 Third level
 Fourth level
 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
Comments by Dr. Brian Summers
6/14/10
2010-8 BENGAL TIGER
6/14/10
986
DISTEMPER ENCEPHALITIS IN A LION
6/14/10
986
DISTEMPER IN A LION (GIANT CELL PNEUMONIA)
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1994 REVIEW
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6/14/10
Tanzania
Serengeti National
Park,
1994
Ngorongono Crater,
2001
6/14/10
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 4:180184, 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 viruslike infection in a captive African lioness. Vet J 36: 34-35, 1995.