Occurrence and geographical distribution of Canine Distemper Virus infection in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) infects dogs and a variety of carnivore species. In Saxony-Anhalt, a federal state of Germany, 761 foxes were examined for CDV infection, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in the years 2010 and 2011. A prevalence of 30.5% was found for the whole time period without significant changes in prevalence between 2010 and 2011. The relative risk (RR) of a fox to test positive for CDV varied markedly within the area of the state and was significantly increased in some regions. The latter was confirmed by a spatial cluster test that identified a significant cluster (p < 0.001) with a diameter of 44 km in the west of the state. To protect hounds and domestic dogs from CDV infection, vaccination is recommended in Saxony-Anhalt.