Canine parvovirosis

The canine parvovirosis type 2 was discovered in North-America in 1978 and it was fast spread wide-world from there. Nowadays, we know three varieties of this virus causing the decrease of the effectiveness of the existent vaccinations.

The canine parvovirosis affects above all puppies under 6 months, especially those having other intestinal agents such as rotavirus, parasites or bacteria, as well as those stressed or immunological-depressed animals. There are some races that are especially vulnerable to this infection such as Doberman rottweiler, American Pit Bull and black farmer.

This virus is orally transmitted by faeces contamination which excretes the virus which is strong in different environmental conditions, fact that contributes the virus remains in the natural means and makes it resistant to many detergents and disinfectant. It has a very high transmitting power.

The clinical signs of this diseases depend on the infection way. When it happens in the first days of the animal life, it develops a non-suppurative miocarditis which causes a sudden death, however if the infection happens in puppies older than 6 weeks, the disease causes a haemorrhagic gastroenteritis with fatal consequences in many cases.

The symptoms are generally started with temperature which will lead to vomits and haemorrhagic diarrhea one or two days later causing de-hydration and electrolytic disorders. After that, there is a decrease of the white and red globules in the blood, as well as in the plasma proteins (albumin), sepsis, endotoxemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and finally death for endotoxemic or hypovolemic shock.

This disease is diagnosed by the clinical signs and for the detection of the virus watching the animal’s faeces through immunoenzimatic techniques that are cheap and fast although they might detect false positives in vaccinated dogs.

This treatment is just a support through fluid-therapy, antibiotics and anemetics. Fluid-therapy is specifically used in each case to control the electrolytic disorders, generally, Ringer-lactatum solution enriched with potassium and glucose, although sometimes, colloids, plasma and even blood transfusions are used. Antibiotics are used to control bacteria infections, and anemetic to try to minimize the loss of liquid and electrolytes. Therapies supporting immune system can be also used such as interferon or the stimulation factor of colognes of granulocytes, which are expensive and with uncertain results.

The prognosis of the disease depends on some factors such as the animal’s immune estate, as well as the presence of other factors such as intestinal parasites or bacteria infections, type of viral strain, precociousness of the diagnosis and treatment, having a general death toll ranging from 40 to 60%.