Pathogenesis of blue fox parvovirus on blue fox kits and pregnant vixens

To study the pathogenicity of a newly isolated parvovirus of blue fox (Alopex lagopus), pregnant vixens and 43 kits of different ages were experimentally infected with the agent. The kits had no clinical signs of disease, even though most of them excreted virus in their feces, and they responded immunologically to viral exposure. Infection during pregnancy appeared to affect the fetuses. A group of 15 blue fox vixens inoculated with the virus produced a statistically smaller number of kits (78) than did 15 untreated controls (131). Vaccination with a homologous inactivated virus preparation appeared to afford protection against reproductive losses. After infection, 15 vaccinated vixens gave birth to 97 kits, compared with 54 kits born to a similar, non-vaccinated experimental group.