Seroprevalence of canine parvovirus in wild coyotes from Texas, Utah, and Idaho (1972 to 1983).

The prevalence of serum antibodies against canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2), as measured by a standard hemagglutination-inhibition test, was determined in serum samples collected from 1,184 coyotes (Canis latrans) in Texas, Utah, and Idaho from 1972 to 1983. No evidence of parvoviral infection was found before 1979, after which seroprevalence rapidly increased to greater than 70% at all sites by 1982. There were minor differences in prevalence between age groups and among sites, but no consistent differences between sexes. The onset of CPV-2 seroprevalence in free-ranging coyotes coincided remarkably with the recognition of the clinical disease and seroprevalence in domestic dogs in the United States.