CASE REPORT: LOCAL MIX BREED DOGS MORTALITY DUE TO CANINE PARVOVIRUS INFECTION ACCOMPANIED BY ENTAMOEBA SPP.

Abstract

Canine parvovirus is caused by canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), which is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate, particularly in young dogs. CPV-2 infection in young dogs is often accompanied by secondary bacterial or parasitic infections, such as Entamoeba spp. This case report aimed to determine the cause of death in a four-month-old mixed-breed puppy that exhibited clinical signs of gastrointestinal distress. The clinical signs included anorexia, lethargy, clear vomiting, and bloody diarrhea lasting more than three days. The cause of death was determined through a comprehensive evaluation, including medical history, postmortem examination, histopathology, molecular viral identification, and parasitological and bacteriological examinations. The medical history revealed that the death occurred not only in the examined puppy but also in two other puppies of the same litter. Gross pathology findings revealed cerebral congestion, cardiac enlargement, pulmonary and hepatic hemorrhage, splenomegaly, renal medullary hyperemia, and intestinal hemorrhage. Histopathological findings confirmed edematous myocarditis, lymphoid cell depletion in the spleen, and necrotizing enteritis, which are characteristic of viral infections. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results showed that the puppies were infected with CPV-2, as confirmed by the detection of a 910-base-pair amplicon on electrophoresis when compared to controls. Escherichia coli was confirmed to have grown from the cultured intestinal isolate, which was confirmed to be part of the normal flora of the intestine. Parasitological examination confirmed the presence of Entamoeba spp. in the fecal sample. These findings confirm that the cause of death in the puppy was canine parvovirus complicated by entamoebiasis.