Re-Emergence Of Canine Distemper In Wildlife In Belgium

Between 30 and 50 red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) are submitted each year to the University of Liege’s veterinary faculty for postmortem examination. Occasionally, other wild carnivores such as European badgers ( Meles meles ) and raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) are also submitted.A PCR-based screening for canine distemper virus (CDV)1 has been performed systematically. Since 2014, all submitted cases tested negative for CDV. On November 14, 2017, a wild raccoon with severe neurological impairment was euthanased in a revalidation centre, near the Liege veterinary faculty. …