Mahdi Bashizade - DVM Student, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran
Kamyar Madani - DVM Student, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran
Hesameddin Akbarein - Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Parvoviruses are one of the most important viral diseases and in canines, CPV-۲ is the most common strain with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, prevention and eradication of this disease is a global concern. To prevent the outbreak of this disease, its risk factors must be assessed. Based on different regional and world-wide studies major risk factors have been evaluated. One of the main risk factors is the age and it has been shown that dogs under three years of age are more prone to infection; also, dogs with the age under six months are more likely to get infected. Additionally, other studies have shown that breed (Labrador, Doberman pinscher and Pitbull terrier are more susceptible), sex (males are more affected than females), weight (less weighted dogs are more susceptible) and neuter status (intacts are more affected than neuters) are important factors in CPV-۲ infection. Furthermore, purebreds are more vulnerable than mix breeds. Another important risk factor is the caring practice of dog owners; including raising their dogs with another dog or singly, permitting them to interact with neighbor dogs. Additionally, maternal antibody and vaccination status are pivotal risk factors. Scheduled vaccination is another important factor that affects dogs’ susceptibility to CPV-۲. Some other effective risk factors are environmental ones, which consist of temperature (the lower the temperature, the higher the risk of infection), low altitude (less than ۳۰۰m), precipitation and seasons (disease prevalence increases respectively in winter, summer, and spring). Some preventing methods based on the above-mentioned risk factors are: effective and well-scheduled vaccination, anthelmintic treatments, paying attention to wildlife reserves in various countries, and preventing dogs from any activity that may result in being exposed to parvovirus. At last, it is advised to take extra care of dogs in lower ages and pay attention to their health status.

Risk factors, Parvovirus, Canine, Prevention, Control