Canine distemper prevalence in dogs attended at the Veterinary Hospital from 2001 to 2013

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological aspects of canine distemper in animals attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the State University of Maranhão. Data collection of 10200 medical records of dogs was made, attended from January 2011 to December 2013, looking for suspected and confirmed cases. 461 animals were diagnosed with the disease and 202 were considered suspects, in a total of 663 cases of distemper. The percentage of affected males was 53.4% and females 46.6%. Regarding to age, the most affected age group was between 0-5 years, totaling 89.59%, and the least affected group, between 11 to 17 years (2.3%). Regarding to the breed, the most prevalent breeds were mongrel animals (65.5%), Poodle (12.5%), Pinscher (8.7%) and Pitbull (2.9%). The disease occurred all year long, with the highest prevalence in the months from July to September and lower prevalence in April and December. There was a high prevalence of canine distemper in comparison to the number of dogs attended at the veterinary hospital, which supports the importance of implementing measures to prevent and control the disease.