Experimental and naturally occurring transplacental transmission of canine distemper virus

In the present study, 2 different effects of experimentally induced infection with virulent canine distemper virus (CDV) on pregnant CDV-susceptible dogs were studied. In 1 bitch, abortion occurred 7 days after viral inoculation and there was no evidence of fetal infection. Another bitch had subclinical infection and delivered 3 CDV-infected pups. Sequential clinical, immunologic, and virologic studies of a litter of gnotobiotic pups (3rd bitch) that were congenitally infected with CDV demonstrated the heightened susceptibility to CDV in the neonatal period. The data presented add canine distemper to the list of transplacental infectious diseases in the canine species.