Host range determinants for canine distemper virus

AuszugCanine distemper is a worldwide distributed disease affecting a broad range of aquatic and terrestrial carnivores [1]. In susceptible hosts the virus causes a wide variety of clinical symptoms, including fever, cough, conjunctivitis and enteritis, and induces general immunosuppression that often leads to secondary bacterial infections which can significantly contribute to an increased chance that infection will have a fatal outcome. The canine distemper virus (CDV) belongs to the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Besides CDV, the Morbillivirus genus contains the important human pathogen measles virus (MV), as well as several important animal pathogens such as porpoise morbillivirus (PMV), peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), phocine distemper virus (PDV), rinderpest virus (RPV) and dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), which are highly contagious and cause similar systemic severe diseases in their respective hosts [2,3]. Most of the present knowledge on Morbillivirus induced pathogenesis and immunosuppression is based on extensive research on measles virus. However, in contrast to MV or RPV, CDV has a broader host range, infecting many carnivores. Current knowledge of CDV host range has been tackled by relatively few studies and despite its considerable importance for our understanding of CDV epidemiology and pathogenesis, the host range of this virus remains unclear.