This week’s featured microbe is canine parvovirus, also referred to as CPV or just parvo. Parvo is a highly contagious and life threatening disease for dogs. It attacks the intestinal tract and white blood cells, and in young dogs will attack the heart causing lifelong issues.
Characteristics of the parvo virus:
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- can live in the environment for months
- is diagnosed through symptoms and ELISA lab testing
- symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, vomiting and lethargy
- best protection is proper vaccination
- is resistant to many disinfectants
- no real cure exists, treatment is for symptoms and stopping any secondary infections from occurring
- survival rate is around 70 percent
- dogs who have had parvo remain contagious for two months
- belongs to the parvoviridae family
- is a single-stranded DNA virus
- genome of 5000 nucleotides
- is a group II virus
- is one of the smallest viruses at 18–28 nm in diameter
- is considered a “naked” virus as it has no envelope
- is a spherical shape
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