Canine parvovirus: Prevalence and insights in Baijnath block, Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh

Introduction

One of the most significant and contagious viral diseases affecting domestic dogs globally is canine parvovirus (CPV). CPV is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in young puppies, and has spread quickly across continents since its emergence in the late 1970s (Appel, 1987; Parrish, 1995) [1,2] . The virus is thought to have successfully spread throughout the world after evolving from the feline panleukopenia virus through genetic mutations that allowed adaptation to canine hosts (Parrish, 1995; Decaro & Buonavoglia, 2012) [2,3] . CPV is still reported globally despite the availability of effective vaccines, particularly in regions with low vaccination rates and subpar management techniques (Decaro & Buonavoglia, 2012) [3] . The small, non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA virus known as canine parvovirus is a member of the Parvoviridae family. The virus causes severe gastroenteritis, immunosuppression, and dehydration by mainly targeting rapidly dividing cells of the intestinal crypts, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues (Greene & Decaro, 2012) [4] . Because of its high environmental resistance and long-term survival in contaminated environments, CPV is effectively transmitted through the fecal-oral route (Miranda & Thompson, 2016) [5] . Vomiting, hemorrhagic diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, fever, dehydration, and leukopenia are typical clinical signs, and very young puppies may develop myocarditis (Greene & Decaro, 2012) [4] . The original CPV-2 strain has continued to evolve since it first appeared, giving rise to the antigenic variants CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c (Truyen, 2006) [6] . According to recent molecular research, CPV-2c is becoming more common in a number of nations, including India, which suggests that the virus is still evolving and adapting (Decaro et al., 2020; Harish Reddy et al., 2024) [7,8] . Multiple CPV variants are still in circulation, which emphasizes the significance of routine epidemiological surveillance and field strain molecular characterization (Jyothi et al., 2024; Zhou et al., 2025) [9,10] . Age, breed, sex, vaccination status, maternal antibody interference, environmental contamination, and management practices are some of the variables that affect the incidence of CPV infection (Appel, 1987; Greene & Decaro, 2012) [1,4] .

Due to their developing immune systems and diminishing maternal antibodies, puppies between the ages of six weeks and six months are especially vulnerable (Parrish, 1995) [2] . The persistence of the virus in the environment, incomplete vaccination schedules, and vaccine failure all contribute to disease outbreaks even though vaccination is still the most effective preventive measure (Decaro et al., 2020) [7] . Developing successful prevention and control strategies requires an understanding of the prevalence of CPV infection and the risk factors associated with it (Patronek et al., 1985; Head et al., 1996) [11,12] . Nevertheless, little is known about the prevalence of CPV in many regions of Himachal Pradesh. In order to ascertain the prevalence of canine parvovirus infection in dogs brought to veterinary clinics in Baijnath Block, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, and to assess its correlation with variables like age, sex, breed, and vaccination status, the current study was conducted.

Materials and Method

To assess the prevalence of canine parvovirus (CPV) infection in dogs, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Clinical records, both prospective and retrospective, were gathered from veterinary clinics in Himachal Pradesh's Baijnath block (32.0521°N and 76.6493°E). There were 119 confirmed cases of CPV in all. Cases with incomplete records were excluded, but dogs of all ages, sexes, and breeds diagnosed by clinical examination and laboratory testing (PCR or fecal antigen test) were deemed eligible. A structured format was used to record information on age, sex, vaccination status, month of occurrence, and major clinical signs. Prior to data collection, the required permissions were acquired, and all information was kept private and secure. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the gathered data. To ascertain the distribution of CPV cases by age, sex, vaccination status, and month of occurrence and percentages were computed. Data were collected from January 2024 to December 2025.

Result and Discussion

A total of 119 canine infected dogs were investigated Baijnath block, January 2024 to December 2025. The current study looked at the canine parvovirus (CPV) infection of 119 dogs in relation to breed, sex, and immunization status. Nondescript dogs had the highest incidence of infection when compared to pedigree dogs, possibly due to lower vaccination coverage and increased environmental exposure (Decaro et al., 2022) [19] . According to Miranda and Thompson (2016) [5] , male dogs were more likely to be impacted (71.43%) than female dogs (28.57%). This could be because male dogs are more likely to roam and be exposed to contaminated environments. Based on typical clinical symptoms, such as vomiting, dehydration, fever, loss of appetite, and bloody diarrhea, a veterinarian determined that the dogs had canine parvovirus (CPV).

Sex -wise Prevalence

The data regarding sex-wise prevalence of Canine Parvo Virus infection is presented in table 1 The data showed that male dogs had a higher percentage of canine parvovirus infection (71.43%) compared to female dogs (28.57%). Similarly, studies found that male dogs were more likely than female dogs to be infected with CPV (Behera et al., 2015; Mohan et al., 2025) [13,17] . [14,17] , who reported a higher prevalence of CPV infection among non-descript dogs, the current study found that canine parvovirus infection was highest in non-descript dogs (38.66%), followed by Pugs (31.09%), Indies (17.65%), and Pomeranians (12.61%). Out of the 119 dogs examined, 73 had received vaccinations. Vaccination rates were higher in male (54) than in female (19). 46 dogs were street dogs and no date of vaccinated was proceed. Overall, a higher percentage of dogs had received vaccinations which is in line with earlier findings that describe higher vaccination coverage among owned dogs brought to veterinary clinics (Day et al., 2016; Singh et al., 2022) [15,16] . Male dogs made up a larger percentage of cases (71.43%) than female dogs (28.57%), which is in line with earlier findings showing that males are more vulnerable to canine parvovirus (CPV) infection (Behera et al., 2015) [13] . Dogs under six months old had the highest prevalence (41.18%), confirming previous research showing that young puppies were especially susceptible due to declining maternal antibodies and incomplete immune development (Nandi & Kumar, 2010) [18] . 17.65% and 16.81% of cases involved dogs between the ages of 6 and 12 months and 1 and 3 years, respectively. Miranda and Thompson (2016) [5] have reported similar age-related patterns. Conversely, only 7.56% of afflicted dogs were older than ten years, which is probably due to protective immunity from previous exposure or vaccination (Decaro & Buonavoglia, 2012) [3] . Out of 119 cases of CPV most cases were found in January (40.38%), February (19.23%), and April (13.46%), with no cases reported in June. Decaro and Buonavoglia (2012) [3] reported similar seasonal variations in CPV incidence. Male dogs were more frequently impacted than female dogs, which is consistent with the results of Behera et al. (2015) [13] . A seasonal pattern of CPV infection was suggested as the higher incidence during the winter. As stressed by Miranda and Thompson (2016) [5] , these results underscored the significance of prompt vaccination and appropriate disease management to lower CPV infections in dogs.

Conclusion

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is still a serious infectious disease that primarily affects young, unvaccinated puppies. It poses a serious threat to veterinary health due to its high transmissibility, environmental persistence, and capacity to harm rapidly dividing cells. The virus's ongoing genetic variation may affect the incidence of disease and the efficacy of vaccines, underscoring the necessity of routine surveillance. Based on confirmed CPV cases from veterinary clinics in the Baijnath block, the current cross-sectional study found that age, sex, and vaccination status were significant predictors of CPV occurrence. While more research is required to improve prevention and control strategies, strengthening vaccination programs, enhancing hygiene practices, and raising owner awareness are crucial for lowering disease incidence and mortality.

References

1. Appel MJG. Canine parvovirus type-2: Evolution and pathology. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian. 1987;9:141-50.
2. Parrish CR. Pathogenesis of feline panleukopenia virus and canine parvovirus. Baillière's Clinical Haematology. 1995;8(1):57-71.
3. Decaro N, Buonavoglia C. Canine parvovirus-A review of epidemiological and diagnostic aspects, with emphasis on type 2c. Veterinary Microbiology. 2012;155(1):1-12.
4. Greene CE, Decaro N. Canine viral enteritis. In: Greene CE, editor. Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat. 4th ed. Elsevier Saunders. 2012. p. 67-80.
5. Miranda C, Thompson G. Canine parvovirus: The worldwide occurrence of antigenic variants. Journal of General Virology. 2016;97(9):2043-57.
6. Truyen U. Evolution of canine parvovirus-A need for new vaccines? Veterinary Microbiology. 2006;117(1):913.
7. Decaro N, Desario C, Elia G, Campolo M, Lorusso E, Mari V, et al. Genetic analysis of canine parvovirus type 2c and its spread in domestic dogs. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 2020;67(2):559-70.
8. Harish Reddy Y, Kumar PR, Srilatha C, Rao GS. Molecular characterization of canine parvovirus variants circulating in India. Indian Journal of Animal Research. 2024;58(3):421-27.
9. Jyothi K, Reddy BS, Kumar A, Rao TM. Molecular epidemiology of canine parvovirus variants in southern India. Veterinary Research Communications. 2024;48(1):115-24.
10. Zhou P, Wang Y, Li X, Zhang H, Chen J. Global molecular evolution and epidemiology of canine parvovirus variants. Veterinary Microbiology. 2025;299:110321.
11. Patronek GJ, Glickman LT, McCabe GP. Risk factors for canine parvovirus enteritis. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 1985;46(6):1171-74.
12. Head LL, Hoekstra JG, Nielsen LD. Epidemiologic study of canine parvovirus infection in a canine population. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 1996;208(4):542-46.
13. Behera M, Panda SK, Sahoo PK, Acharya AP, Patra RC, Das M. Epidemiological studies on canine parvovirus infection in dogs in Odisha, India. Veterinary World. 2015;8(12):1406-10.
14. Archana K, D'Souza PE, Singh DK, Pawde AM. Prevalence of canine parvoviral infection in dogs. Indian Veterinary Journal. 2009;86:1104-05.
15. Day MJ, Horzinek MC, Schultz RD, Squires RA. WSAVA guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice. 2016;57(1):E1-E45.
16. Singh R, Sharma A, Kumar D, Verma S. Vaccination status and prevalence of canine viral diseases in dogs presented to veterinary clinics. Indian Veterinary Journal. 2022;99(4):23-27.
17. Mohan S, Sharma R, Singh P, Kumar V. Epidemiological analysis of canine parvovirus infection in northern India. Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology. 2025;21(1):45-50.
18. Nandi S, Kumar M. Canine parvovirus: Current perspective. Indian Journal of Virology. 2010;21(1):3144.
19. Decaro N, Martella V, Desario C, Elia G, Campolo M, Buonavoglia C. Current epidemiological trends of canine parvovirus infection worldwide. Animals. 2022;12(4):504.