Vaccination with canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) protects against challenge with virulent CPV-2b and CPV-2c.

Mutations in canine parvovirus (CPV) field isolates have created concerns regarding the ability of vaccines containing CPV-2 to protect against infection with the newly identified antigenic types CPV-2b and CPV-2c. To address this concern, the efficacy of CPV-2 strain NL-35-D currently in use as a commercial vaccine was demonstrated against an oral challenge with CPV-2b and CPV-2c, respectively. Clinically healthy specific pathogen free Beagle dogs were either vaccinated or treated with water for injection first at 8-9 weeks of age and again at 11-12 weeks of age.

Feasibility of genus-specific real-time PCR for the differentiation of larvae from gastrointestinal nematodes of naturally infected sheep.

Results of real-time PCR analysis of coproculture third stage larvae (L3) using genus specific TaqMan minor groove binder probes were compared with the results of morphological differentiation of L3 after coprocultured and direct morphological worm differentiation from gastrointestinal samples of eight sheep with naturally acquired nematodes infections. Faecal egg counts prior to postmortem confirmed infections with trichostrongyles with a geometric mean count of 4828 eggs per gram for all sheep. Individual egg counts correlated positively with total worm counts (correlation coefficient 0.