Canine parvovirus: A review

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a non-enveloped and single-stranded DNA virus. This virus is belonging to parvoviridae family that necessitates quickly dividing cells to replicate. On the other hand, it is extremely hardy, withstanding many common disinfectants and staying alive for months to years in ground surface or on fomites. This virion is an icosahedral symmetry. It has rough surface and form a triangular units. The parvoviruses have two sizes of viral proteins: small (VP2–5) and large (VP1).
This virus is classified into three strains that widely recognized: CPV2a, CPV2b and CPV2c. It is extremely contagious and therefore is distributed from canine to canine via fecal oral contact. It has been reported worldwide. Sources of stress includes early weaning, overcrowding, and parasite load. On the other hand, lacking of the active or passive immunity, geographic area, and the incidence of other pathogens are all related to the development of clinical parvovirus disease. Puppies have been identified to have a more severe case of the disease than older dogs.
There are two clinical forms: gastro-enteritis and myocarditis. The gastroenteritis form is general in dogs, while the myocarditis form is public in puppies. The symptoms of the disease include fever, leucopenia, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration. This disease was primarily controlled through hygienic measures and vaccination. The interference of maternal antibodies is thought to be a main reason of CPV immunization failures in puppies.
The viral diagnosis is confirmed using different laboratory methods such as direct and indirect examination. The direct methods include viral isolation, detection of viral morphology, detection of viral antigen and detection of viral genome. As well as the indirect methods include detection the specific antibodies against virus.