DETECTION OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS IN WOLVES FROM ITALY

One hundred fifteen samples of wolf (Canis lupus) feces were collected during 1994 to 1995 from four free-living populations of the north ce ntral Apennines Mountains, Italy. The samples were tested for canine p arvovirus by antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , hemagglutination, and virus isolation. Four of these samples were po sitive by virus isolation as confirmed by electron microscopy. All pos itive samples were from Casentino Park in Tuscany. This is the first d efinitive observation of canine parvovirus in wolves from Europe.