Genetic variability among canine parvovirus strains currently circulating in Poland

The aim of the study was to perform a molecular analysis of the CPV VP2 gene fragment isolated from faeces samples of 46 dogs (vaccinated, as well as non-vaccinated against parvovirosis) with clinical parvovirosis. In all animals, the infection was confirmed by PCR. The purified PCR products (fragment VP2 gene) were sequenced and compared to each other and to the sequences of CPV VP2 gene from NCBI GenBank. Readable sequences of the VP2 gene were obtained for 46 samples. In 23 out of 30 non-vaccinated dogs, the most frequently isolated CPV strain was 2b. In the remaining cases the dogs were infected with CPV-2a. The parvovirus strains isolated from faeces of vaccinated dogs were classified in most cases (14/16) as CPV-2b, one as CPV-2a and one as CPV-2c. Continuous monitoring of parvovirosis in dogs in Poland plays an important role in updating vaccines against the disease and developing effective methods of its prevention.