Russian regulator finds live Aujeszky's virus in Multican-8 dog vaccine batch

The State Veterinary Regulatory Service announced that batch 20 of the pet health product Multican‑8 was found to contain a live strain of Aujeszky’s disease virus, a pathogen that is typically fatal to dogs. The contamination was identified after owners in at least ten Russian regions reported a surge of canine deaths, with hundreds of fatalities recorded since August. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of the live virus in the specific batch, prompting an immediate alert to veterinary clinics and pet owners nationwide.

Authorities have ordered a nationwide recall of the affected batch and are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the manufacturing and distribution processes that allowed the virus to enter the product. The regulator advises owners who have administered Multican‑8 from the implicated batch to seek urgent veterinary care for their animals and to report any symptoms consistent with Aujeszky’s disease. Ongoing monitoring will determine whether further batches are impacted, and officials emphasize that the investigation remains active to prevent additional incidents.