Hemagglutination by canine parvovirus: serologic studies and diagnostic applications

Conditions for canine parvoviral hemagglutination (HA) and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) reactions were defined. The HA phenomena were used to differentiate canine parvovirus (CPV) from feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), mink enteritis virus (MEV), and minute virus of canines. Serologic comparisons of the CPV, FPV, and MEV by HA-HI and serum-neutralization tests indicated that CPV, FPV, and MEV were antigenically similar but were different from minute virus of canines. Diagnostic application of HA tests to fecal samples from acute cases of enteritis was discussed. Combinating HA tests with HI tests on fecal samples provided a rapid and specific diagnostic method for CPV infection. Secular seroprevalence studies indicated the emergence of CPV infeciton in the United States dog population-at-large in 1978.