Systematic Veterinary Virology

CONTROL

• Effective vaccines are available to protect dogs from canine distemper virus. These vaccines are manufactured from attenuated viruses to induce long-lasting immunity. These vaccines are produced in bird or dog cell cultures. Immunity lasts for many years.
• Vaccinations must not be given too early to puppies. Vaccination must be given to puppies at a time when the level of circulating antibodies that they have received from their mothers is in decline otherwise the vaccine’s effects are neutralized (6-10 weeks).
• Twenty percent of this maternal immunity crosses the walls of the womb into the puppy while eighty percent is absorbed from colostrum milk across the intestine.
• Rarely dogs develop post vaccinal reaction referred as neurodistemper or vaccine distemper, which appear 10-21 days after vaccination.
• Primary vaccines are given at 6-8 weeks of age followed by booster at dose at 12-14 weeks of age with annual revaccination. CD vaccines are given in combination with Leptospira vaccine.
• Human measles virus can also be used to vaccinate dogs against CDV, but measles virus does not produce long lasting immunity. Older vaccines include virus adapted in ferrets and avianised virus.
• Since the virus cannot live without fresh secretions and inactivated in minutes outside the living host’s body only minimal disinfection necessary.