It is also important to recall that ferrets can vary in how long past a
year they can continue to have what may be decent titer levels in
response to canine distemper vaccinations, but with possible exposures,
yes, it makes sense for such individuals to be revaccinated.

If there were high enough titer levels to begin with then exposed
ferrets may get sick but they may survive.

There are some unexpected factors that can influence canine distemper
titer levels in animals studied:

QUOTED SEGMENTS ENCLOSED BELOW

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008 Jun 1;232(11):1669-73.
Assessment of serum antibody titers against canine distemper virus,
canine adenovirus type II, and canine parvovirus in Alaskan sled dogs 
before and after a long-distance race.
Banse HE, McKenzie EC, Nelson S, Hinchcliff KW.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum antibody titers against canine distemper
virus (CDV), canine adenovirus type II (CAV-2), and canine parvovirus
(CPV) in trained sled dogs prior to and after completion of a long-
distance race.
DESIGN: Prospective cohort study
ANIMALS: 195 Alaskan sled dogs (from 18 kennels) that participated in
the 2006 Iditarod Trail Race.
PROCEDURES: All 1,323 dogs participating in the race had been
vaccinated against the 3 viruses at 19 to 286 days prior to initial
blood sample collection (obtained within the month preceding the race).
Within 12 hours of race completion, blood samples were collected from
195 dogs (convenience sample) and matched with each dog's prerace
sample. Serum antibody titers (90% confidence intervals [CIs]) were
determined via serum neutralization assays.
RESULTS: After racing, geometric mean titers against CDV and CPV were
significantly higher (2,495 [90% CI, 321 to 16,384] and 6,323 [90% CI,
512 to 32,768], respectively) than prerace values (82 [90% CI, 11 to
362] and 166 [90% CI, 32 to 1,024], respectively). Sixty-one of 194
(31.4%) dogs had > or = 4-fold increases in anti-CPV antibody titers
after racing. Prerace serum antibody titers against CDV, CPV, and CAV-2
varied significantly by sled team but were not associated with time
since vaccination.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Postrace increases in serum
anti-CDV and anti-CPV antibody titer might reflect exposure of dogs
to these agents immediately before or during racing. Dogs had no
clinical signs of CDV-, CAV-2-, or CPV-associated disease; therefore,
the clinical importance of these titer changes is uncertain. of
supplementary antioxidants (AOX) and whey protein on the immune
function health of puppies. Four groups of 10 puppies were fed a
control and 3 different test foods (control + antioxidants (AOX),
control + AOX + 1% whey protein, and a grocery brand (low AOX)) for
6 weeks. A standard vaccination protocol with a combination canine
parvovirus (CPV) and distemper (CDV) vaccine was carried out at 2
and 4 weeks. The results showed that animals on high AOX foods had
significantly increased titers, memory cells and serum E concentrations
compared to the control and groc groups respectively.

PMID: 15906269
---

Vaccine. 2004 Jan 26;22(5-6):650-4.
Early DNA vaccination of puppies against canine distemper in the
presence of maternally derived immunity.
Griot C, Moser C, Cherpillod P, Bruckner L, Wittek R, Zurbriggen A,
Zurbriggen R.
Institute of Virology and Immunoprophylaxis, Swiss Federal Veterinary
Office, PO Box 17, Sensemattstrasse 293, CH-3147 Mittelhausern,
Switzerland.

Canine distemper (CD) is a disease in carnivores caused by CD virus
(CDV), a member of the morbillivirus genus. It still is a threat to the
carnivore and ferret population. The currently used modified attenuated
live vaccines have several drawbacks of which lack of appropriate
protection from severe infection is the most outstanding one. In
addition, puppies up to the age of 6-8 weeks cannot be immunized
efficiently due to the presence of maternal antibodies. In this study,
a DNA prime modified live vaccine boost strategy was investigated in
puppies in order to determine if vaccinated neonatal dogs induce a
neutralizing immune response which is supposed to protect animals from
a CDV challenge. Furthermore, a single DNA vaccination of puppies, 14
days after birth and in the presence of high titers of CDV neutralizing
maternal antibodies, induced a clear and significant priming effect
observed as early as 3 days after the subsequent booster with a
conventional CDV vaccine. It was shown that the priming effect develops
faster and to higher titers in puppies preimmunized with DNA 14 days
after birth than in those vaccinated 28 days after birth. Our results
demonstrate that despite the presence of maternal antibodies puppies
can be vaccinated using the CDV DNA vaccine, and that this vaccination
has a clear priming effect leading to a solid immune response after a
booster with a conventional CDV vaccine.

PMID: 14741156
---
Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2004 Jan;97(1-2):77-85
Effect of age on immune parameters and the immune response of dogs to
vaccines: a cross-sectional study.
HogenEsch H, Thompson S, Dunham A, Ceddia M, Hayek M.
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Purdue University, Veterinary
Pathology Building, 725 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN
47907-2027,[log in to unmask]

The evaluation of anti-aging intervention strategies in dogs would
benefit from reliable quantitative biomarkers of aging. In the present
study, the expression of various immune parameters was measured in
young and old dogs to identify potential biomarkers of aging. The
second goal of the study was to determine the effect of age on the
immune response to vaccines. The immune function, including the
antibody response to vaccines, was determined in 32 young adult
(3.15+/-0.8 years of age) and 33 old dogs (12.1+/-1.3 years of age)
of various breeds. Old dogs had a significantly lower lymphocyte
proliferative response and a lower percentage of CD4+ T cells and
CD45R+/CD4+ T cells, and a higher percentage of CD8+ T cells and a
higher concentration of serum and salivary IgA. The most significant
differences (P<0.001) occurred in the lymphocyte proliferative
responses to ConA and PHA, the CD4:CD8 ratio, and the percentage of
CD45R+/CD4+ T cells suggesting that these parameters are potential
biomarkers of aging. There was no difference in the percentage of
total T and B lymphocytes and the concentration of serum IgM and IgG.
Both groups of dogs had protective titers against distemper virus,
parvovirus and rabies virus before annual revaccination. The
pre-vaccination titer against rabies virus was higher in the old
dogs than in the young dogs, and there were no differences in
post-vaccination titers against any of the viruses. This suggests that
annual vaccination protocols provide adequate protection for old dogs.

PMID: 14700539
---

Am J Vet Res. 2002 Apr;63(4):491-4.
Influence of long-term treatment with tetracycline and niacinamide on
antibody production in dogs with discoid lupus erythematosus.
Mueller RS, Fieseler KV, Bettenay SV, Rosychuk RA.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523,
USA.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with
tetracycline and niacinamide on antibody production in dogs by
measuring postvaccinal serum concentrations of antibodies against
canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus.
ANIMALS: 10 dogs receiving long-term treatment with tetracycline and
niacinamide (treatment group) and 10 healthy dogs (control group).
PROCEDURE: The treatment group included 9 dogs with discoid lupus
erythematosus and 1 dog with pemphigus foliaceus on long-term treatment
(> 12 months) with tetracycline and niacinamide. The control group
included 10 healthy dogs with no clinical signs of disease and no
administered medications for the past 3 months. Blood samples were
obtained from all dogs by jugular venipuncture. Serum antibody titers
against canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus antigens were
measured, using hemaglutination inhibition and serum neutralization,
respectively, and compared between groups.
RESULTS: A significant difference in antibody titers between treatment-
and control-group dogs was not found. All dogs had protective antibody
titers against canine distemper virus, and 8 of 10 dogs from each group
had protective titers against canine parvovirus infection.
CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results provide evidence that
long-term treatment with tetracycline and niacinamide does not
interfere with routine vaccinations and thus does not seem to influence
antibody production in dogs.

PMID: 11939308
---

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Nov 1;219(9):1238-41.
Association between cancer chemotherapy and canine distemper virus,
canine parvovirus, and rabies virus antibody titers in tumor-bearing
dogs.
Henry CJ, McCaw DL, Brock KV, Stoker AM, Tyler JW, Tate DJ,
Higginbotham ML.
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between cancer chemotherapy and
serum canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and rabies
virus antibody titers in tumor-bearing dogs.
DESIGN: Prospective study.
ANIMALS: 21 client-owned dogs with various malignancies and 16
client-owned dogs with lymphoma.
PROCEDURE: In study A, serum antibody titers were measured by use of
hemagglutination inhibition (CPV titers) or serum neutralization (CDV
titers) before and at least 1 month after initiation of chemotherapy.
Baseline values were compared with values obtained from a control
population of 122 healthy dogs seen for routine revaccination.
Titers were considered protective at > or = 1:96 for CDV and > or =
1:80 for CPV. In study B, serum IgG titers were measured by use of
immunofluorescent assay (CDV and CPV titers) and rapid fluorescent
focus inhibition test (RFFIT, rabies titers) at baseline and again at
weeks 5, 8, and 24 of a standard chemotherapy protocol for treatment of
lymphoma. An IgG titer of > or = 1:50 was considered protective for CPV
and CDV. An RFFIT titer of > or = 0.5 U/ml was considered protective
for rabies virus. RESULTS: Significant changes were not detected in
CDV, CPV, and rabies virus titers following chemotherapy in
tumor-bearing dogs.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that established
immunity to CDV, CPV, and rabies virus from previous vaccination is not
significantly compromised by standard chemotherapy used to treat
tumor-bearing dogs.

PMID: 11697366

[Posted in FML 6412]