Infected dogs can shed the virus for months, and mother dogs can pass the virus through the placenta to their puppies. Because canine distemper also impacts wildlife populations, contact between wild animals and domestic dogs can facilitate the spread of the virus.
Is distemper transferable to other dogs?
The disease is highly contagious and potentially lethal. A paramyxovirus causes distemper in dogs, and it is closely related to the measles and rinderpest viruses.
Can distemper be passed from dog to cat?
There is no risk of cross contamination between dogs and cats in relation to the different strains of distemper, but animals and humans can carry the disease on their bodies and spread it that way. Symptoms in dogs include a high fever, lack of appetite and lack of energy.
What animals can catch dog distemper?
Distemper (aka canine distemper) is caused by a virus. It can infect dogs, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and large cats such as lions and tigers. The virus infects the lungs, airways, nose, and eyes. It can also infect the brain and suppress the immune system.
Can canine distemper affect other animals?
It has been shown that CDV can circulate in wildlife even when levels of infection are extremely low and asynchronous to infections found in domestic dogs, supporting the hypothesis that CDV infection is likely to persist in other wildlife species within complex reservoir systems [10].
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