Test Now Available for Parvo 2c

[Del Lolo]

I just received this email from Doc E, so I'm passing it on.
As with most diseases, the sooner a case of parvo is identified, the better the dog’s chances for recovery. In fact, survival can depend on how quickly and accurately the virus is diagnosed.

According to Richard Oberst, professor of diagnostic medicine and director of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory in the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, many tests currently available can’t detect the newer strains of parvovirus 2c, which has lead to false negative results in infected dogs.

The 2c strain is a newer, emerging strain of canine parvovirus that was first detected in Italy in 2000, and has also been reported in Asia, South America, and Western Europe. It was first reported in the U.S. in 2006, and is now considered the most common strain of the disease. Parvovirus strain 2b is also prevalent in this country; the 2 and 2a strains are very rarely seen.

Fortunately, a new diagnostic test developed by researchers at KSU’s Diagnostic Laboratory can now identify the 2c strain of parvo. It’s a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that detects all strains simultaneously and points to which strain or strains might be causing the infection.

Veterinarians can send samples for testing to:

Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
1800 Denison Ave.
Manhattan, KS 66506

[KwikIrish]

This is very exciting!