Detection of canine parvovirus type 2c by a commercially available in-house rapid test

Diagnosis of canine parvovirus (CPV) infection is usually carried out by means of rapid immunochromatographic assays, but the ability of these tests to detect all CPV variants, including the recently identified CPV-2c, is still debated. To determine if the assays detect the different CPV variants, 201 CPV PCR-positive faecal samples or rectal swabs were tested using a commercially available in-house test. Specimens (CPV-2a, n = 51; CPV-2b, n = 50; CPV-2c, n = 100), containing CPV DNA loads >10(5) DNA copies/mg faeces, as determined by real-time PCR, were selected from previous studies. The percentage of positive in-house tests was 80.4%, 78.0% and 77.0% for CPV types 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively, confirming the ability of the test to detect the new variant CPV-2c. However, considering the sensitivity limits of the in-house tests that have been observed previously, negative results from the in-house test kit should be confirmed by PCR-based methods. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.