FLUO PARVOVIRUS
IFA kit for the detection of anti-Canine Parvovirus IgG antibodies
Fluo PARVOVIRUS is a test based on the immunofluorescence technique for the detection of anti-Canine Parvovirus (CPV) IgG antibodies in dog serum or plasma samples.
Parvo is a highly contagious viral disease that can be potentially fatal, especially in unvaccinated puppies.
The virus responsible for the disease is classified as Canine Parvovirus Type 2 (CPV 2), to distinguish it from another Parvovirus (CPV 1) found in dog fseces, without pathological significance. It is a very resistant virus in the environment (up to 1 year) and to the action of detergents and disinfectants.
The virus is excreted in the faeces and multiplies in the digestive tract and bone marrow. The virus enters the body orally. After an incubation period of 3-8 days, the virus initially replicates in the oropharyngeal lymphatic tissues, and then spreads to all tissues by hematogenous way. Then, the virus localizes in the lymphohematous tissues of the bone marrow and to the lymphoid tissues of the jejunum and ileum, where it causes respectively neutropenia, lymphopenia, destruction of the intestinal villi with necrosis of the epithelium and hemorrhagic diarrhea. As a result of immunosuppression, infected animals have frequent secondary bacterial infections (from Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and clostridia) which aggravate the pathogenetic picture. From the 3rd day post-infection the animal becomes a virus eliminator.
Infection can occur by direct contact with the faeces of infected dogs or indirectly through exposure to the environment or to contaminated objects, such as litters or bowls.
Parvoviral infection can affect dogs of any age, although most cases occur in young puppies between the ages of 6 weeks and 6 months. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated animals have a considerably higher risk of developing parvo.
Some breeds are described as predisposed to canine parvovirus infection, such as Dobermann Pinscher, Rottweiler, English Springer Spaniel, German Shepherd, American Pit Bull Terrier and Dachshund. These breeds, once infected, also tend to develop more severe symptoms.
Toy Poodles and Cocker Spaniels appear to have a reduced risk of canine parvovirus infection. Puppies whose mothers have been regularly vaccinated are also affected less frequently and less severely by parvo. This is because vaccination from the mother increases the levels of circulating maternal antibodies in young puppies. The spread of canine parvo is worldwide. The first episodes of canine parvovirus sustained by CPV were observed in 1978 in US. The disease spread rapidly throughout the world, affecting wild canids and domestic dogs, and becam soon an endemic disease.
The course of parvo is variable from subject to subject even within the same litter. There are basically two clinical forms: one gastrointestinal (of variable severity) and one cardiac; however, a sub-clinical form is also recognized.
Gastrointestinal form
After a short incubation period, the following appears:
- vomiting and diarrhea with blood
- anorexia
- depression of the sensory
- dehydration rapidly sets in and, sometimes, even mild hyperthermia
- leukopenia (<3000 cells / mm3) with marked lymphopenia.
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The course is variable and a slow recovery or a worsening of the general conditions with death of the affected subjects can be observed.
Cardiac form
Clinical evolution is rapid and 2-4 weeks old subjects die with the signs of acute myocarditis.
Subclinical form
It is perhaps the relatively most frequent form, characterized by:
- mild sensory depression
- anorexia
- mild diarrhea
- modest leukopenia / lymphopenia.
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The development of the sub-clinical form, sometimes asymptomatic, is closely correlated with the degree of immunity of the animal at the time of infection. Obviously, this is a partial immunity that does not prevent the replication and excretion of the virus. This clinical form takes on a different epidemiological importance depending on the kind of life of the animal. In a puppy living in a family environment, the infection will have a limited epidemiological impact; on the contrary, the same situation projected inside a breeding/kennel takes on a completely different implication, as the infected animal eliminates the virus with the feces and can transmit the infection to other subjects.
