Possible cure for Parvo?
Heard this on the news a few days ago. Looks like these folks might have stumbled over a cure for canine parvovirus. And I say "stumbled" because the discovery was incidental/accidental during an effo...
Forum Discussion
There have been multiple "new" cures since parvo first appeared in the early 80's. People used Interferon and antiviral drugs, fresh plasma transfusions and multiple antibiotics along with the conventional therapy. None has proven to be universal, and I can understand why.
The way that the parvovirus works is to attack and kill rapidly reproducing cells in the body. The manifestations show in the gut (rapid normal cell turnover) shedding the intestinal lining - results vomiting/diarrhea (bloody). The second major area is the bone marrow - you get extremely low production of white blood cells - WBC counts drop to levels where the bodies immune system cannot fight off the virus or any other disease.
The only way an antibody would work is if it was effective and administered BEFORE all the damage was severe enough to become life threatening. The progression is such that I think you'd have about a 24 hour window to administer it, and that would require knowledge and action on the part of owners.
After that, it's quite possible that this could lessen the severity and duration of the disease, but calling it a cure would be a stretch, IMO.
Doug, DVM
The way that the parvovirus works is to attack and kill rapidly reproducing cells in the body. The manifestations show in the gut (rapid normal cell turnover) shedding the intestinal lining - results vomiting/diarrhea (bloody). The second major area is the bone marrow - you get extremely low production of white blood cells - WBC counts drop to levels where the bodies immune system cannot fight off the virus or any other disease.
The only way an antibody would work is if it was effective and administered BEFORE all the damage was severe enough to become life threatening. The progression is such that I think you'd have about a 24 hour window to administer it, and that would require knowledge and action on the part of owners.
After that, it's quite possible that this could lessen the severity and duration of the disease, but calling it a cure would be a stretch, IMO.
Doug, DVM
