Public survey of knowledge concerning canine distemper and protective measures

Abstract

To help understand why there is a prevalence of canine distemper in Brazil, we interviewed 404 owners of dogs that were in clinics or veterinary hospitals about distemper. Our results showed that 80.4% of respondents knew about distemper and 67.6% knew that it is a severe and fatal disease. Approximately 50.9% knew that distemper can be prevented by the use of the vaccine, but 60.9% did not know about distemper vaccines. Our results show that the lack of knowledge and, consequently, the lack of vaccination against distemper may be the most important factors in the endemic presence of distemper in Brazil.