Related Experiment Videos
West Nile virus encephalitis in a dog
R W Read1, D B Rodriguez, B A Summers
1Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, MS 39762, USA. read@cvm.msstate.edu
Veterinary Pathology
|March 9, 2005
Summary
West Nile virus (WNV) caused acute encephalitis in a dog, presenting with neurological signs and fever. This case highlights the importance of considering WNV in dogs with similar symptoms where the virus is present.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Arbovirology
Background:
- West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging arbovirus with a broad host range, including canids.
- Canine WNV infections are typically asymptomatic or mild, with severe neurological disease being rare.
Observation:
- A 2-year-old Maltese Terrier presented with acute hyperactivity, tremors, ataxia, and hyperthermia.
- Clinical signs progressed over two weeks, leading to euthanasia and postmortem examination.
Findings:
- Postmortem analysis revealed mild, multifocal, nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis with medullary necrosis.
- Reverse transcriptase-nested-polymerase chain reaction confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) presence in the brain tissue.
Implications:
- This case underscores the potential for severe neurological manifestations of West Nile virus (WNV) in dogs.
- Veterinarians should include WNV in the differential diagnosis for dogs exhibiting encephalitis, particularly in endemic areas with active mosquito vectors.