A Canine Parvovirus Mutant Is Spreading in Italy

By antigenic and genetic characterization of canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) strains collected in 2001 and 2002 in Italy, it was possible to observe the spread of viruses with an unusual mutation, Glu-426, affecting a major antigenic epitope of CPV-2. Out of 67 strains analyzed, 49 (73.13%) were characterized as CPV-2a, 6 (8.95%) were characterized as CPV-2b, and 12 (17.91%) were characterized as the Glu-426 mutant.