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Pet Virus Confirmed Present in RP
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While Mad Cow disease and FMD (Foot & Mouth Disease) are now raging in Europe and causing concern even in the Philippines, a new pet virus (Canine Coronavirus or CCV) has been confirmed to be already present in the country.
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The long running debate within the veterinary community as to whether CCV is present in the country or not was ended this month. At the recent Philippine Veterinary Medical Association Convention at Cagayan de Oro City, Dra. Vera Matawaran of UP Diliman Veterinary Hospital and Dra. Magdalena Cruz of the Bureau of Animal Industry presented their preliminary findings, which provided the first-ever serological confirmation of CCV infection in Philippine dogs.
The number one viral infection causing gastrointestinal disease in dogs is due to canine parvovirus (CPV). Common symptoms are: fever, loss of apetite, dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea. Stool character is loose, gray and bloody. CPV is quickly transferable through feces, vomitus and fomites in the environment. Dogs of all ages are affected but is severe in pups. To prevent this, it is important to vaccinate pups as early as 6 weeks.
Recently, some dog owners and breeders who have religiously had their pets vaccinated still encountered diarrhea especially in puppies. There were cases that eventually led to the death of the whole litter. These occurrences have led owners to believe it to be vaccination failures.
Pfizer Animal Health together with the Bureau of Animal Industry and UP College of Veterinary Medicine piloted a study on the existence of this second most common gastrointestinal disease causing virus in dogs known as CANINE CORONAVIRUS (CCV).
Differentiating these two diseases (CPV & CCV) is difficult, as the signs are very similar. CCV infection is rarely fatal, however, evidence shows that dual infections of CCV and CPV are much more severe, usually more fatal with greater than 80% mortality rates, than when either microorganism acts alone.
This gives the rationale that it may be as important to vaccinate dogs against CCV as it is to protect them against CPV.
To determine the definitive existence of coronavirus infection in the Philippines, a study had been conducted to detect the presence of CCV antibodies in locally-bred and-raised dogs using the indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) test. Initially, the serum (blood) samples of 8 sick dogs (between 6 to 16 weeks of age) brought to the UP Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Diliman from October to November 2000 were collected and tested. These dogs were showing signs of diarrhea, vomiting and inappetence, and were diagnosed preliminarily to be viral enteritis. Six out of the 8 dogs (75%) were found to be positive for CCV antibodies. The initial results of the study provided the first report on the serological evidence needed to establish the definitive presence of canine coronavirus (CCV) in the Philippines.
The research was conducted by the following veterinarians: Magdalena S. Cruz of the Philippine Animal Health Center of BAI; Veronica S.J. Alejandro-Matawaran, Famela R. Alejandro, Elaine P. Manigbas, and Ian Joseph Saliendra, all from UP Veterinary Hospital; and Menandro L. Quizon, Technical Manager-Pfizer.
Pfizer Animal Health’s canine coronavirus research is ongoing to prove the prevalence of the disease in the Philippines. Private practitioners have expressed their interest to be part of the study and have been submitting serum samples to UPCVM & BAI from their own patients. Results on this will be presented tentatively by middle of this year.
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