Encephalitis in the Newborn Pup due to a Canine Herpesvirus

Abstract

A puppy with natural infection, none of 4 puppies examined 18 to 48 hours after experimental infection, and all of 13 puppies examined 3 to 9 days after experimental infection with a canine herpesvirus had lesions of the central nervous system. These constituted a non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis, characterized by focal and segmental destruction of gray and white matter and diffuse and focal microgliosis. In general, the gray matter was most severely involved, especially within the brain stem. The histopathologic findings in this disease are comparable to those in other herpetic encephalitides.