The Mononegavirales is an order of viruses affecting large, small and marine animals and is responsible for diseases including Rinderpest, Rabies and Ebola. This book discusses the epidemiology and control of Mononegaviruses that pose a significant threat to animals in terms of severity and epidemiological risk. The book also addresses viruses with zoonotic potential, and many that can be used as models in the study of infectious disease. With its comprehensive coverage, each chapter is dedicated to a different disease and has been authored by renowned scientists who have made seminal contributions to the field. This prestige reference work is arranged over two volumes: volume 1 pathobiology and molecular diagnosis, and volume 2 molecular epidemiology and control. This broad ranging text covers mononegaviral diseases of livestock, horses, dogs and cats as well as rodents, primates, fish and marine mammals, and will be a valuable reference source for virologists, field veterinarians, infection and molecular biologists as well as immunologists and animal scientists.

Considering the contagious nature, high mortality, quarantine and to initiate supportive treatment and patient management, accurate diagnosis of Canine Distemper (CD) infection at an early stage is essential. From 45 dogs suspected of CD, a total of 135 samples comprising of blood, nasal (NS) and conjunctival swabs (CS), were processed for lymphocyte count and RT-PCR. CD was detected in ten dogs (22.22%)by RT-PCR. The sensitivity of CS was found highly significant in distemper positive dogs (p 0.05) when compared from distemper suspected dogs. All the distemper positive dogs were found lymphopenic. The difference in lymphocyte count in distemper positive and negative dogs was insignificant (p = 0.203). It was, however, significant (p = 0.0056) in distemper positive dogs when repeated thrice at an interval of ten days. In conclusion, lymphopenia is the suggestive of clinical infection of CD, however, it is not necessary that all lymphopenic dogs are distemper positive. In this context, RT-PCR is a test of choice with CS followed by NS swabs and plasma.