We report an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) among stone martens (Martes foina) in Italy. After being rescued in Northern Italy between April and June 2018, six subjects were kept in a wildlife and exotic animal rescue center in Bologna province. Subjects have been monitored for 15 months in captivity. Within this time-lapse, two subjects died, while among the remaining four, only one showed clinical symptoms referable to distemper. Surviving subjects have been regularly tested for CDV by means of reverse transcriptase-PCR from conjunctival and oropharyngeal swabs for eleven months. The identified viruses belonged to the Wildlife-Europe CDV genetic subgroup. Neutralizing antibodies were detected at the end of the eleven months, when all subjects tested reverse transcriptase-PCR negative. Our findings confirm the circulation of the Wildlife-Europe CDV genetic subgroup (Europe 1/South America 1 lineage) within the Italian wildlife, and improve knowledge on viral infection in stone martens.

我们报告了在石貂 ( Martes foina ) 中爆发犬瘟热病毒 (CDV)） 在意大利。在 2018 年 4 月至 6 月期间在意大利北部获救后，六名受试者被关押在博洛尼亚省的野生动物和外来动物救援中心。对象已被囚禁 15 个月。在这段时间里，两名受试者死亡，而在其余四名受试者中，只有一名受试者表现出与犬瘟热相关的临床症状。幸存的受试者已通过结膜和口咽拭子的逆转录酶-PCR 定期检测 CDV，持续 11 个月。鉴定出的病毒属于野生动物-欧洲 CDV 遗传亚群。在 11 个月结束时检测到中和抗体，当时所有受试者的逆转录酶-PCR 检测均呈阴性。