title: Detection of canine distemper virus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the urine of dogs with clinical signs of distemper encephalitis.
abstract: In a prospective study we evaluated the use of the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in urine samples to diagnose canine distemper virus in dogs with progressive neurological disease. A fragment of the nucleoprotein gene of canine distemper virus was amplified from the urine of 22 distemper dogs. The body fluids and leukocytes of 12 asymptomatic dogs were RT-PCR negative. RT-PCR of urine samples was more sensitive than serum and leukocytes and at least as sensitive as cerebrospinal fluid to screen for distemper in dogs with neurological signs and extraneural systemic signs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia Animal, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Campus Universitário, Caixa Postal 6001, CEP: 86.051-990, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wosiacki
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Negrão
authors.forename: H S A
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Alfieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004216:Distemper / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine* / Q000821:virology*; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004285:Dogs; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*