Natural infection of dogs by influenza C virus.
To date, only one seroepidemiological survey, carried out in Japan, gave a strong indication that dogs may be naturally infected by the influenza C virus, long considered to be exclusively human. In the present work, 134 serum samples were collected during the winter of 1988/89 from dogs aged 6 months to 16 years in northern France. Samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to influenza C virus by both haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and ELISA. Using antibody absorption by staphylococcal protein A, we demonstrated the specificity of the results. In 62% of cases, the results were identical using the two methods. Significant HI activity was found in 32% of the 134 tested sera and titres ranged from 20 to 320. Of the sera tested, 42% were positive by ELISA and titres ranged from 500 to 8,000. The discordant results are discussed. The population tested was divided into five age groups: less than 4 years, 4 to 6 years, 7 to 9 years, 10 to 11 years and greater than 12 years. The distribution of antibodies in the tested canine population, in contrast to that of humans, did not show a significant degree of association with age.
Manuguerra
J C
JC
Unité d'Ecologie Virale, Institut Pasteur, Paris.
Hannoun
C
C
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000032:analysis; D009982:Gammainfluenzavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007106:Immune Sera