Long-term shedding of Canine alphaherpesvirus 1 in naturally infected newborn pups

The long-term shedding of Canine alphaherpesvirus 1 (CaHV-1) by neonatal pups with natural infection is reported. The pups belonged to a litter of 11 pointers of a breeding kennel in southern Italy, 9 of which developed a fatal form of systemic infection, as resulted by the detection of CaHV-1 in internal organs (kidney, liver, lung and brain) of one of this dogs and in the vaginal swab of their mother. The two remaining animals displayed a milder form of disease, with one pup showing ocular involvement, and underwent a progressive recovery. These pups were monitored from 11 to 36 days of age, showing a long-term shedding of the virus through the nasal and ocular secretions and the faeces. CaHV-1 shedding, as assessed by means of a specific and sensitive real-time PCR assay, occurred mainly through the nasal secretions, although the pup displaying ocular disease shed the virus at high titres and for a long period even in the ocular secretions.