02353nas a2200241   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653003100113653000800144653003200152653000800184653003100192653002000223100001400243700001300257700001500270700001500285245016000300490000800460520162900468022001402097       2019                            d  c03/2019bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10aHepatitis contagiosa canis10aHCC10ainfectious canine hepatitis10aICH10aepizootic fox encephalitis10awild carnivores1 aC Schulze1 aJ Schatz1 aE Dohrmann1 aP Wohlsein00aMolecular epidemiology of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) in free-ranging small carnivores in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, Germany. A preliminary study0 v1323 aTo date, there is no actual knowledge about the molecular epidemiology of  canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) in free-ranging small carnivores in the federal  states of Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. However, serological data collected  in this region (1991–1995) indicate that CAdV was at least endemic in red foxes  (Vulpes vulpes) with a seroprevalence of 3.5 %. In our preliminary study, we  examined relevant tissues (liver, kidney, brain) from 98 red foxes and 16 raccoons  (Procyon lotor) submitted in the context of the national rabies monitoring  program by real-time PCR, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. CAdV-1-specific genome sequences were detected in the tissues of 13 out of the 98 red  foxes (13.3 %) with ct-values ranging between 16.0 and 35.8. Immunohistochemically,  CAdV-specific antigen was found in the brain of three red foxes, mainly in  endothelial cells. These red foxes had a non-suppurative meningoencephalitis  indicative of epizootic fox encephalitis by the presence of typical adenoviral intranuclear  inclusion bodies. All raccoons were negative for CAdV-1 and all red foxes  and raccoons were negative for CAdV-2 in the real-time PCR. Our study confirmed  the enzootic occurrence of CAdV-1 in red foxes in the Berlin-Brandenburg region  of Germany emphasizing the need for continuation of the vaccination of susceptible  carnivores kept as pets or in zoological gardens. The actual detection rate by  PCR was considerably higher than by serology in a previous study. However, the  relevance of this finding has to be evaluated by future serological and molecular  investigations.  a0005-9366