[Canine parvovirus: recent knowledge of the origin and development of a viral pathogen].

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a "new" virus that suddenly emerged in the mid 1970s. Antigenetically it is very similar to the long known feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). Soon after its appearance CPV was classified as a mutant of FPV. As with all "new" viruses, CPV continues to show active evolution, obvious by the appearance of new antigenic types. Interestingly, the new types, designated CPV-2a and CPV-2b, completely replaced the original type. This review summarizes the facts that are known about the emergence and evolution of CPV and discusses the relevance of the new antigenic types for the diagnosis of CPV and the vaccination against it.