Warning: Distemper
Sep 29, 2022
Cases of distemper are rampant among wild animals in Germany this year. Just a few days ago, new cases were reported in the Frankfurt City Forest and in the Rhein-Sieg district of North Rhine-Westphalia. But deaths among wild animals due to distemper are also on the rise in various regions of Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to martens and raccoons, foxes in particular are infected with distemper. The positivity rate in some areas exceeds 80%.
The canine distemper virus (CDV), commonly known as distemper, is a highly contagious viral disease in dogs and carnivores that is often fatal. Pneumonia, enteritis, eye inflammation leading to blindness, and inflammation of the brain and nervous system can occur in varying degrees of severity throughout the course of the disease.
Since transmission occurs via oronasal secretions (droplet transmission), animals can become infected with the distemper virus not only through direct contact with one another but also through excretions of any kind from infected animals, as well as through contaminated water or objects. For unvaccinated dogs or dogs with inadequate vaccination protection, the risk of a distemper infection is therefore particularly high. To date, there is no antiviral treatment; symptoms caused by the disease can only be alleviated, not cured. Therefore, immediate action should be taken for dogs and wild animals showing symptoms of distemper or suspected of having the disease. Rapid antigen tests, which can be performed immediately and without technical difficulty in veterinary offices and provide results within a few minutes, offer quick confirmation.
Caution is advised due to the acute danger to dogs and wildlife posed by the increasing number of distemper cases in our region. Antigen tests can be used to detect current cases of distemper. With confirmed vaccination protection, we can take our dogs into potential risk areas without concern. The distemper vaccine is classified as a core vaccine. These vaccinations are classified as necessary by the Standing Committee on Vaccination in Veterinary Medicine (StIKo) in Germany to ensure that as many animals as possible are protected. After the initial immunization, a check should be performed after the third year to determine whether sufficient immune protection is present or whether a booster vaccination is required. For this reason, leading experts worldwide, such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Standing Committee on Veterinary Vaccinations (StIKo), recommend that, whenever possible, every animal should demonstrably carry protective antibodies against the distemper virus.
Dog owners in high-risk areas, in particular, should be vigilant, check their dogs’ vaccination records, and, if necessary, have their veterinarian verify the dog’s current immune protection through an antibody test. Rapid tests are already available to check antibody titers. These tests are very inexpensive and indicate the animal’s vaccination status within a few minutes. Thus, not only is antigen detection an important tool for accurately assessing high-risk areas, but antibody testing is also a crucial diagnostic tool for determining a dog’s immune status, thereby eliminating the risk of infection. Support and assistance regarding diagnostics are available from Fassisi GmbH in Göttingen, the German developer and manufacturer of rapid tests for the veterinary sector. The company also offers an antigen test for distemper (Fassisi CanDis) and a vaccine titer test for the viral diseases distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus (Fassisi CantiCheck MPX).
