Clinical and epidemiological aspects of canine parvovirus (CPV) enteritis in the State of Rio de Janeiro: 1995 - 2004

T.X Castro,L.E Silva,R.C.N Cubel Garcia,N.V Labarthe,S.C Miranda

doi:10.1590/s0102-09352007000200010

T.X Castro, L.E Silva + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-09352007000200010

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Abstract

This paper relates the clinical and epidemiological aspects of canine parvovirus infection (CPV) in the State of Rio de Janeiro from April 1995 to March 2004. A total of 341 fecal samples were collected from up to 6-months-old puppies with gastroenteritis. The diagnosis of CPV infection was confirmed by hemagglutination/ hemagglutination inhibition tests, enzyme immunoassay, virus isolation in cell culture or polymerase chain reaction. One hundred and fifty-seven samples (46%) were positive for CPV. No correlation among sex, breed or age and the occurrence of CPV infection was observed. The classical signs of parvoviral enteritis (anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and hemorrhagic fluid diarrhea) were observed in 70% of CPV-positive and in 60% of CPV-negative puppies. Although CPV could be detected throughout the studied period, its occurrence was significantly higher from June to September and November to December. These results show that CPV is still circulating in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Highlights

Since the emergence of canine parvovirus (CPV) in the late 1970s, virus enteritis has become recognized as one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in puppies (Pollock and Coyne, 1993)
It was possible to demonstrate canine parvovirus infection in 46% of the puppies with gastroenteritis from April 1995 to March 2004
Though 80% of the analyzed samples were collected during maximum virus shedding (1 to 4 days PI) when it is possible to detect the virus using HA assay (Carmichael et al, 1980; Studdert et al, 1983), the major part of the samples were tested by another method in order to improve accuracy

Summary

Introduction

Since the emergence of canine parvovirus (CPV) in the late 1970s, virus enteritis has become recognized as one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in puppies (Pollock and Coyne, 1993). Parvovirus infection can be controlled by vaccination, several reports show CPV infection in puppies to be a significant cause of morbidity in Brazil (Homem et al, 1999; Cubel Garcia et al, 2000, 2002). After the appearance of CPV (CPV-2), analyses of isolates revealed the emergence of new antigenic types termed CPV-2a and CPV-2b in 1979 and 1984, respectively. These variants can be distinguished from the original CPV-2 by using monoclonal antibodies, restriction enzymes and more recently by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It has been reported that Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler and German Shepherd dogs appear to be under greater risk of developing parvoviral enteritis (Glickman et al, 1985; Houston et al, 1996)

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