title: Epizootiologic investigations of parvovirus infections in free-ranging carnivores from Germany.
abstract: To assess if wild carnivores in Germany play a role in the epizootiology of canine parvovirus (CPV) infection, seroprevalences against CPV in free-ranging carnivores (n=1,496) from selected urban and rural areas were compared. Antibodies against CPV were found in sera from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; 136 of 1,442; 9%), raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonides; two of 33; 6%), stone martens (Martes foina; four of 13; 31%), and pine martens (Martes martes; one of two) using the hemagglutination-inhibition test and pig erythrocytes. Evidence of CPV infection was detected in all study areas. Antibody titers varied between 10 and 320. In red foxes, the number of reactors did not differ between most urban and rural areas. However, we found significantly more reactors in the most densely populated urban area (Berlin). None of 430 tissue samples (small intestine, spleen, mesenterial lymph nodes) from any species tested for the presence of CPV nucleic acid using polymerase chain reaction yielded an amplification product. Based on our results, we believe that contact between domestic dogs and free-ranging red foxes probably plays a subordinate role in the epizootiology of CPV in Germany.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, PO Box 601103, 10252 Berlin, Germany. froelich@izw-berlin.de
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frölich
authors.forename: Wolf Jürgen
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Streich
authors.forename: Jörns
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fickel
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Truyen
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hentschke
authors.forename: Justus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dedek
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Latz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002335:Carnivora / Q000821:virology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D045969:Mustelidae; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D017992:Parvovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D046031:Raccoon Dogs; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral