Systematic Veterinary Virology

SYMPTOMS

• Clinical signs start with biphasic fever of >104°F (40°C), which lasts 1-6 days associated with leukopenia, which persists throughout the febrile period. The degree of leukopenia varies and seems to be correlated with the severity of illness.
• Other signs are apathy, anorexia, thirst, conjunctivitis, serous discharge from the eyes and nose, and occasionally abdominal pain and vomiting, intense hyperemia or petechiae of the oral mucosa and enlarged tonsils. Subcutaneous edema of the head, neck, and trunk are also observed.
• The blood clotting time also varies with severe haemorrhage, which is manifested by bleeding around deciduous teeth and by spontaneous hematomas. Severely infected dog may have a terminal convulsion with brain-stem hemorrhages. On recovery, dogs  will regain weight slowly.
• Further, seven to 10 days after the acute signs disappear,  recovered dogs develop bilateral corneal opacity, which usually disappears spontaneously. In mild cases of ICH, transient corneal opacity may be the only sign of disease. Chronic hepatitis develop in dogs having low levels of passive antibody when exposed. Simultaneous infection with CAV-1 and distemper virus is also seen.