title: Canine distemper virus infection in Serengeti spotted hyenas.
abstract: Clinical signs suggestive of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection were observed among a group of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Serengeti, Tanzania. Virus antigen was detected immunohistologically in a brain sample from a diseased cub. The presence of virus RNA could be demonstrated in this brain as well as in intestine and lymph node of the animal by RT-PCR. Sequence comparison of brain-derived amplicons showed that the virus was related to recent CDV field isolates. The closest homology (>99 percent) was to a recently described CDV which caused high mortality in sympatric lions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, Veterinary School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: East
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wohlsein
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liess
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002335:Carnivora; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004216:Distemper / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004285:Dogs; D005858:Germany; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013045:Species Specificity; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral