A team of Oklahoma State University (OSU) veterinarians, virologists and pathologists at the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL) recently published a paper in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology on their findings from a Canine parvovirus (CPV) study. Led by Dr. Sanjay Kapil, the group is the first to describe the CPV type 2c variant in the United States.
This parvo virus variant was discovered 6 years ago in Italy, but was not of great concern until it was discovered here.
“According to Kapil, the disease presentation is different in that normally parvovirus does not affect adult dogs only puppies…
“Veterinarians are confused because the in office diagnostic tests come up negative,†explains Kapil. “Clinically it looks like parvovirus so they send it to us. The OADDL tests it and it is parvovirus. Now world-wide (except for Australia), this particular variant can attack the heart and intestines.â€
Of 80 cases tested by the OADDL, 26 were from Oklahoma puppies/dogs. Of those 26, 15 tested positive for CPV-2c. For more information on the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, visit http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu.”