Pagetʹs disease of bone and unvaccinated dogs

The etiology of Pagetʹs disease is unknown, but several observations suggest a viral cause. Since canine distemper virus is among those proposed to be a causal agent, we investigated the hypothesis that dog ownership may increase the risk of Pagetʹs disease of bone by means of a case control study. One hundred and fifty patients with Pagetʹs disease and 185 controls were interviewed using a structured questionnaire administered by the same interviewer. Participants were asked about their socioeconomic background and their exposure to pets. The risk of Pagetʹs disease was not significantly increased in individuals. However, ownership of a mongrel dog was associated with a significant increase in risk (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0–2.4) and the risk increased still further with the ownership of an unvaccinated dog (OR = 2.8; 95 % CI = 1.8–4.5). Additionally, ownership of cats and birds excluding dog owners, increased the risk of Pagetʹs disease (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.0–5.0; OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.0–5.3, respectively). These data suggest that previous exposure to cats, birds, and dogs unvaccinated for canine distemper may increase the risk of an individual developing Pagetʹs disease of bone.