Hello everyone, colleagues. Just a few comments regarding amdoparvovirus. The first dogs that we suspected had some kind of infection we didn't understand were Dobermans; they came to me around October 2025. Recently, a doctor contacted me who had been observing such dogs since roughly the spring of 2025. So we assume that the infection was most likely already widespread in 2025, and possibly in 2024 as well—we don't know for sure.
A woman reached out to me who had six Dobermans. By that point, only four were left, and two of them were in critical condition. We tested for all possible infections; there were suspicions of bacterial infections or various forms of toxicity, because clinically it mostly presented as acute hepatitis or, in some cases, a chronic course: joint damage, severe emaciation, and ocular lesions. We screened for all known canine infectious agents. Furthermore, we performed metagenomic microbiome sequencing to determine whether bacterial pathogens like Leptospira, Brucella, or something similar might be present.
We had no clear answers at that time. Following another fatal outcome, we performed an autopsy and sent histological samples; the pathology report came back showing plasmacytic infiltration of all internal organs: kidneys, spleen, lungs, liver, and heart. Pathologists told me that, particularly since these were Dobermans, it was likely something genetic—most probably a pathology such as multiple myeloma or a lymphoproliferative disorder.
It seemed odd that dogs of completely different ages were falling ill en masse, so we considered that there might be a trigger setting off this lymphoproliferative process. We thought that trigger could be an infectious agent. Frankly, I was leaning toward adenovirus because the liver and eye involvement were quite characteristic, resembling "blue eye," and I suspected a variant of adenovirus infection; however, the tests came back negative for adenovirus.
Operating under the assumption of a lymphoproliferative disorder, we collaborated with an oncologist to develop supportive therapy aimed at slowing plasma cell proliferation, and essentially this worked on the surviving dogs. The most critically ill dog was completely icteric—an 11-month-old female. She remained relatively stable on this protocol for about six months, but the extent of her liver damage ultimately prevented a full recovery; she eventually passed away in May.
Now that we know the identity of the virus, all banked samples from these dogs have tested positive.
How we discovered it was a virus: A group of Doberman puppies from Russia was transported to Serbia—around 20 dogs in total, including both puppies and older dogs. One of the puppies was infected and transmitted it to the other dogs on the transport van. These dogs came from various regions heading into Eastern/Southeastern Europe and then dispersed to different countries: Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, and I believe Italy. Consequently, the dogs became infected and spread the pathogen to the kennels where they arrived.
In Serbia, there was a massive wave of fatalities—several dozen dogs died, which is a significant number for a small country. All of them were Dobermans. Researchers there analyzed the tissue samples and likewise found no known canine pathogens. They then performed viral metagenomic sequencing and identified this virus, which is not typical for dogs, but rather closely related to viruses endemic to minks and raccoon dogs.
The researchers deposited this novel canine amdoparvovirus into GenBank, which enabled us to identify the infection as well. The laboratory designed the required primers (it is worth noting that primers targeting conserved regions of Aleutian mink disease virus also yield positive results). For about a month now, diagnostic testing has been established, confirming that this virus is real.
Its full potential remains unclear, and many questions persist. Regarding the incubation period, the exact timeframe is unknown. The maximum reported in literature for amdoparvoviruses is up to two years, though the source of that figure is difficult to verify. The most extensively studied condition is Aleutian mink disease. At present, we estimate the average incubation period to range from one week to 3–4 months, but it may be longer—some dogs we monitored took up to 6 months. Furthermore, there are currently dogs that remain asymptomatic carriers; they shed the virus both rectally and via the respiratory route, and the virus is also detectable in their blood.
