The research to date shows that all currently available vaccines protect against all known strains of CPV, including the newer CPV-2c strain 1,2,3. Some of the evolution of the CPV appears to give new strains small selective advantages in nature, and in some cases those can eventually replace the old variants. For example the original CPV-2 strain from 1978 is not found in nature today as it was replaced in 1980 by the CPV-2a variant. The CPV-2a is still the common virus circulating in the USA and around the world, and the CPV-2b and CPV-2c variants essentially differ from that 1980 virus at a only one or two amino acid positions 4,5.
There is no evidence that CPV-2c is a more serious threat to either shelter or owned dogs than the other CPV strains. It is not possible to distinguish CPV-2c from CPV-2b or -2a isolates based on clinical signs or parvo snap tests. CPV-2c causes similar clinical signs as the previously known strains, including mucoid or hemorrhagic diarrhea, leukopenia, and lymphopenia. Although a few reports suggest that CPV-2c may cause more severe clinical signs than -2a and -2b, others describe less-severe disease and lower mortality rates in CPV-2c infected dogs. There is no evidence, nor reason to believe, that the susceptibility of CPV-2c to disinfectants is different than other strains of parvovirus. All parvoviruses are environmentally persistent and resist inactivation by some common disinfectants, including quaternary ammonium compounds and alcohol. However, all strains can be reliably inactivated by correctly applied disinfectants documented to inactivate parvoviruses, including sodium hypochlorite (household bleach diluted at 1/2 cup per gallon) and potassium peroxymonosulfate (e.g. Trifectant ®).
CPV-2c is not known to be a particular diagnostic challenge, and is expected to cross react with commonly used ELISA tests just as other strains do10. To distinguish the CPV-2c from CPV-2a/2b requires DNA sequence analysis or PCR 3; however there seems to be little or no clinical use for these tests, as vaccine or management principles are not different.