Suspected parvovirus infection in porcupines.

During a 142-day period, 6 porcupines died or were killed after becoming moribund. Three had severe acute necrotizing enteritis; two had acute necrotizing myocarditis, one with concurrent lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis; and one had chronic enteritis. Histologically, the acute necrotizing enteritis was characterized by villous fusion, blunting, and crypt dilatation. Many dilated crypts contained necrotic debris and were lined by flattened enterocytes. Acidophilic intranuclear inclusions were in colonic epithelial cells in one of these animals. The myocardial lesions consisted of degenerating shrunken myofibers, with infiltrating neutrophils and lymphocytes. Myofiber mineralization was evident in one animal. Though the histologic findings were indicative of parvovirus infection, electron microscopic, serologic, and virologic studies failed to demonstrate parvovirus as the etiologic agent.