Canine parvovirus: relationship to wild-type and vaccine strains of feline panleukopenia virus and mink enteritis virus

1 Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland and 2 Department of Virology, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, CH-1066 Epalinges s/Lausanne, Switzerland Canine parvovirus (CPV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) and mink enteritis virus (MEV) were compared serologically, by determination of their host range in cell cultures, as well as by restriction enzyme analysis. Maps of the virus genomes were established using seven different restriction enzymes cutting at a total of 56 sites. MEV and FPLV gave maps which were identical except for one restriction site. The map of CPV is closely related to those of FPLV/MEV since their DNAs share about 80% of the restriction sites tested. However, CPV is clearly distinct from FPLV/MEV since either eight (German isolate) or nine (Belgian, Swiss and American isolates) restriction sites are different. The DNAs of six vaccine strains of FPLV and MEV were also analysed. They gave maps which closely resembled those of the respective wild-type strains. CPV and FPLV/MEV also differed with respect to antigenicity, as well as to host range in cell cultures. Keywords: canine parvovirus, epidemiology, restriction endonuclease mapping Received 1 October 1981; accepted 26 February 1982.