Why can’t dogs catch the measles?

Measles is a virus that belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family. Coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, and rashes are all symptoms of this disease in humans. Despite the fact that measles spreads quickly among unvaccinated humans, the CDC Centers for Disease Control reports that the virus has no effect on other animals. This means your dog can't get the measles and can't spread it to you.

Dogs are immune to measles and cannot pass it on to humans. They are, however, susceptible to canine distemper, a virus related to the measles. Canine distemper, if left untreated, can be fatal or result in permanent neurological damage in dogs.

Canine distemper disease is spread primarily through direct contact between dogs or by the virus being aerosolized through coughing and sneezing. While CDV does not affect humans, it does affect a variety of animal species.

Because dog cells lack virus receptors and/or there are no cells within the dog that are permissive for viral replication, the virus cannot attach to them.