A Ten-Year Molecular Survey on Parvoviruses Infecting Carnivores in Bulgaria

• Published in: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
• Main Authors: Filipov, C, DESARIO, COSTANTINA, Patouchas, O, Eftimov, P, Gruichev, G, Manov, V, Filipov, G, BUONAVOGLIA, Canio, DECARO, Nicola
• Other Authors: Desario, Costantina, Buonavoglia, Canio, Decaro, Nicola
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Bulgaria; carnivore; minor groove binder probe assay; molecular survey; parvoviruse; real-time polymerase chain reaction; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11586/146440; https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12285

Parvoviruses represent the most important infectious agents that are responsible for severe to fatal disease in carnivores. This study reports the results of a 10-year molecular survey conducted on carnivores in Bulgaria (n=344), including 262 dogs and 19 cats with gastroenteritis, and 57 hunted wild carnivores. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), followed by virus characterization by minor groove binder (MGB) probe assays, detected 216 parvovirus positive dogs with a predominance of canine parvovirus type 2a (CPV-2a, 79.17%) over CPV-2b (18.52%) and CPV-2c (2.31%). Rottweilers and German shepherds were the most frequent breeds among CPV-positive pedigree dogs (n=96). Eighteen cats were found to shed parvoviruses in their faeces, with most strains being characterized as FPLV (n=17), although a single specimen tested positive for CPV-2a. Only two wild carnivores were parvovirus positive, a wolf (Canis lupus) and a red fox (Vulpes vulpes), both being infected by CPV-2a strains.