Virological Survey of Canine parvovirus Infection in Kars Shepherd Dogs in Kars Province, Turkey

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is responsible for dehydration, severe hemorrhagic enteritis, vomiting and high fever in dogs. This study is a virological investigation of the CPV-2 in Kars Shepherd Dogs owned by small-scale family farming enterprises in the Kars province in Northeast Anatolia, Turkey. Fecal samples were collected from a total of 93 Kars Shepherd Dogs with diarrhea, 48 females and 45 males younger than 1 year of age, unvaccinated for CPV-2. The samples were analyzed for CPV-2 antigens using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). CPV-2 antigen was detected in 76.3% (71/93), with no significant differences among the genders and age groups (p>0.05). The present study results reveal that CPV-2 infection exists relatively at high levels in Kars Shepherd Dogs. This is the first virological survey for CPV-2 antigens in Kars Shepherd Dogs in the Kars province of Turkey