Canine distemper with myoclonus and tonic-clonic seizures in a domestic cat (Felis catus) in Kerala, India

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a major global pathogen of dogs affecting multiple organ systems of the body and causing the characteristic malady with prominent neurological manifestation. Natural CDV infections with typical clinical symptoms in domestic cats are not yet reported in Kerala, India,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative clinical pathology 2024-04, Vol.33 (2), p.183-185
Main Authors: Balakrishnan, Neethu, George, Arun, Jameel, A. Javed, Ajith, Y., Abdulla, K. Shanab, Pillai, Usha N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens
Canine distemper
Case Report
Cats
Domestic animals
Encephalitis
Feces
Hematology
Leukocytosis
Lymphocytosis
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Monocytosis
Myoclonus
Oncology
Pathology
Seizures
Thrombocytopenia
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Summary:Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a major global pathogen of dogs affecting multiple organ systems of the body and causing the characteristic malady with prominent neurological manifestation. Natural CDV infections with typical clinical symptoms in domestic cats are not yet reported in Kerala, India, even though a few reports on the occurrence of fatal canine distemper in large felids exist. The present study reports a documented preliminary report of the natural canine distemper virus infection in a domestic cat from Kerala, India, with typical neurological manifestations. An unvaccinated adult female domestic cat was presented to the University Veterinary Hospital with the acute onset of neurological signs, viz. typical continuous myoclonus like in a CDV-infected dog and tonic-clonic seizures in between the short intervals of time. The rapid immunochromatography revealed the presence of canine distemper viral antigens on ocular, nasal and faecal samples, and the hemogram revealed thrombocytopenia and severe leukocytosis with granulocytosis, lymphocytosis and monocytosis. The animal responded well to the symptomatic therapy for viral encephalitis and recovered within 24 h to apparent normalcy, except for the myoclonus. The recurrence of acute encephalitic symptoms was reported after 45 days, and the animal died due to uncontrolled seizures by day 90, as the owner was unwilling to provide further veterinary aid for the animal. This case indicates the need for screening the cats with neurological signs for CD and further molecular characterisation of the strains involved.
ISSN:1618-565X
1618-5641
1618-565X
DOI:10.1007/s00580-024-03561-x