Latex agglutination test for detecting feline panleukopenia virus, canine parvovirus, and parvoviruses of fur animals.

A latex agglutination (LA) test for the detection of parvoviruses of fur animals, cats, and dogs was developed, and its sensitivity and specificity were compared with those of hemagglutination (HA) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Tissue culture isolation was used to confirm the specificity results. Fecal samples from various sources were tested, including specimens from raccoon dogs and mink which were experimentally infected with parvoviruses by oral exposure. LA compared favorably with the other tests. The ELISA was the most sensitive. When it was considered as a reference test, the corresponding sensitivities for HA and LA were 96 and 91%, respectively. The specificities were 93% for the ELISA, 95% for the HA test, and 92% for the LA test. LA seems to be a suitable technique for screening animals in the field and in laboratories in which sophisticated techniques are not available.