FASTest® DISTEMPER Strip is a rapid immunochromatographic test for the qualitative detection of Canine Distempervirus (CDV) antigens in eye or nasal discharge, urine or liquor of the dog.

Canine Distemper is caused by the canine Distemper virus (CDV), a Morbillivirus of the subfamily Paramyxovirinae. It infests dogs and other carnivores like fox, wolf, coyote, jackal, ferret, mink, raccoon and seal world-wide.

Infected animals excrete the virus via all secretion (saliva, ocular or nasal discharge) and excretion (feces and urine) from day 8 on post infection.

The infection is passed on via direct animal contact, indirect via ingestion of contaminated food or water or intrauterine. It can occur in animals of any age, but it most commonly affects unvaccinated puppies at the age of 3–6 months that have lost their maternal immunity or younger puppies that have received inadequate concentrations of maternal antibodies.

In case of young dogs with symptoms like higher temperature up to 41°C, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhoea and especially serous nasal or ocular discharge, Distemper should be generally considered as a suspicious diagnosis. Clinical signs vary depending on virulence of the virus strain, environmental conditions, host age and immune status. Depending on viraemia and distribution in different organs, the symptoms can be respiratory (cough, dyspnoea), intestinal (diarrhoea, vomitus), neurologic (uncontrollable muscle twitch), cutaneous (hardened footpads) or a mixture of those. According to the severity of etiopathology and the involvement of secondary infections, the lethality is between 30 and 80%.

The use of FASTest® DISTEMPER Strip enables the veterinarian a fast aetiological diagnosis of Distemper infection, a fast therapy start as well as the initiation of prescribed quarantine procedures.