Introduction

Canine parvovirus (CPV) causes morbidity and mortality in pups. Early diagnosis improves treatment to reduce the mortality. A recent study compared three different commercially available, antibody-based tests for rapid detection of CPV antigens with PCR and immunoelectron microscopy, confirming the high specificity and low sensitivity of the antigen-detection kits. This study preliminarily validates a PCR to detect VP2 gene of CPV in stools of dogs, and compare the results with an antigen-detection kit.

Objective

To validate a PCR to detect VP2 gene of canine parvovirus in stools of dogs.

To compare PCR results with an antigen-detection kit.

Methodology

Forty-six stool samples were received in CORPAVET from dogs with CPV clinical diagnosis; we selected 30 of them for PCR. Twenty samples were positive to antigen-detection kit, and the other 10 were negative to this test.

All were amplified to VP2 gene of CPV with primers designed from 4062 to 4064 nucleotide position.

A ten-fold serial dilution until 10^-8 was performed in a stool sample positive for PCR and antigen-detection kit, and all dilutions were evaluated with both tests.

Result

All samples positive for antigen-detection kit were positive to PCR. Four samples negative for antigen-detection kit were positive to PCR; the other six were negative. The sensitivity of antigen-detection kit was 85.7% compared with the PCR, and both techniques have 100% specificity. The kappa coefficient between two techniques was 0.67.

PCR detected CPV in 10^-4 dilution of stool sample, and antigen-detection kit only diagnosed until 10^-2 dilution.

Conclusion

PCR for detecting canine parvovirus in the evaluated samples was more sensitive compared with antigen-detection kit.