Pseudorabies virus infection in raccoons: a review

Pseudorabies is a rarely reported disease of raccoons. Laboratory and field evidence of PRV infection suggests the raccoon is a "dead end" host with little opportunity for raccoon-to-raccoon spread of virus. All reported field cases have been associated closely with infected swine and swine have been considered the source of the raccoon infection. The clinical signs of PRV in raccoons closely resembles those of canine distemper and rabies virus infections. Infection with the latter viruses are considered more prevalent and likely to be mistaken for PRV infection. Both CD and rabies virus may be maintained in raccoon populations with raccoon-to-raccoon transfer while PRV may not. Differentiation of PRV, CD and rabies infections is best achieved by histopathologic analysis of lung and brain tissue, together with virus isolation. It is of utmost public health importance that wildlife authorities recognize the similarities between these diseases, together with the different epidemiologic behavior of the viruses and the means to differentiate clinical cases.