Golovko O. Epidemiological monitoring and molecular genetic diagnosis of canine distemper in dogs.

The thesis is dedicated to the analysis of the epidemiological situation relatively canine distemper in a megapolis on the background of the mass vaccination of animal, experimental validation and development of diagnostic test kits for detection of distemper RNA virus in pathological material by reverse transcriptase polymerase reaction (RT-PCR) and the study of genetic variability of the pathogen. It is shown that the leading role in the nosological profiles of dog infectious diseases in Kiev rank for canine distemper, takes 8.3%, and course mainly in atypical form with a high level of mortality. Epidemic situation remains complex and characterized by certain fluctuations from year to year. Analysis of results from laboratory studies based on PCR showed high levels of dogs' infection (42.5%), while 62% of the animals were vaccinated, and 38% were not vaccinated against the infection. Based on studies of conventional gen parts of canine distemper virus, primers were chosen to indicate the virus genome, studied their sensitivity and specificity, and also carried out a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of various diagnostic methods (PCR, ELISA), the results confirmed the objectivity of the PCR and the possibility of its use for the diagnosis of distemper. Research of the vaccine virus elimination from the vaccinated animals showed that genome of canine distemper virus in samples of biological material from vaccinated animals can not be detected regardless of time that has elapsed since vaccination. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strains of the virus circulating in Ukraine are not homogeneous: the virus is circulating in Lviv and Kharkiv are closely related to the vaccine strain Snyder Hill, a virus that circulated in Kiev - to strain of "vaccine X".