Canine Parvoviral Enteritis and Its Determinants-An Epidemiological Analysis

Abstract

Background: Canine parvoviral enteritis (CPVE) is a highly contagious disease of dogs of less than two years age group characterized by vomiting, haemorrhagic foul smelling diarrhoea, high grade pyrexia, dehydration and followed by death. The disease is caused by Canine parvovirus type-2 (CPV-2) and its variants, CPV-2a, 2b and 2c. Environmental and host determinants are playing an important role in the occurrence of CPVE in dogs. Limited numbers of research studies have been were conducted on the role of the determinants associated with the disease occurrence. Hence, the present study was aimed to assess the influence of host and environmental determinants associated with the incidence of CPVE in dogs. Methods: Retrospective data on the incidence of CPVE in Namakkal region, Tamil Nadu was collected (2017-2019) from Veterinary Clinical Complex (VCC), Veterinary College and Research Institute (VC and RI), Namakkal, Tamil Nadu and had been subjected to temporal and spatial clustering and regression analysis. One hundred and twenty three faecal samples were collected from dogs with clinical signs of CPVE and subjected to PCR using H primer of CPV. Cross-sectional study was used to investigate the relationship between the disease and hypothesized causal factors. Relative risk, odds ratio were used to determine the causal association. Weather data was collected for the period from 2017-2019 from Animal Feed Analytical and Quality Control Laboratory (AFAQAL), VC and RI, Namakkal to assess the relationship of disease occurrence with the environmental determinants. Multiple linear regression model was developed for prediction of CPVE by correlation of environmental determinants with the occurrence of CPVE. Result: Temporal analysis revealed endemic pattern of CPVE started last week of April, peaks in June and ends in August and second peak was noticed at November month. Higher incidences ( greater than 70%) were noticed in males and less than 6 months age group dogs. Polymerase chain reaction for confirmation of CPV infection in dogs revealed the positivity of 70.73%. Analysis of risk factors associated with CPVE revealed that vaccination, roaming of dogs, maternal vaccination and early weaning having positive statistical association with the incidence of CPVE. Multiple linear regression model revealed that relative humidity is positively associated with the occurrence of CPVE in dogs. Vaccination of dogs against CPV and administration of boosters at regular intervals, weaning of dogs after 45 days of age are used as primary strategies for prevention of CPVE.