Canine distemper Diagnosis using Dot-ELISA test

Presently veterinary doctors usually base on the clinical presentation of the distemper virus in canines for the diagnosis of the disease. As it is presented in this study, the existence of the virus does not correspond only to the symptomatology commonly associated with it. The knowledge of the serological prevalence of canine distemper by means of the diagnosis with the serological InmunoComb IgM (Dot-ELISA) test can evidence the impact of this disease on the canine population taken care of and affected with compatible symptomatology. Not all the patients presenting symptomatology associated with the canine distemper virus are positive on the test. To demonstrate this, a sample of 84 canines which were admitted at the "Diego Villegas Toro"Veterinary Clinic at Universidad de Caldas during 2.5 years was taken. The canines presented nervous, digestive, respiratory, ocular or cutaneous symptomatologies which included the systems affected by the virus. Although the above mentioned patients did not present vaccination registration, not all of them showed positive results during the test. The InmunoComb IgM diagnostic kit contains a plastic toothed card where the distemper virus antibodies present in blood of patients positive to the infection stick. The manufacturer reports a specificity of 95.5% and a sensibility of 93.1% for the test.