Research overview: parvovirus crossover between dogs and wild felids

Parvoviruses of carnivores have a history of host-switching, with canine parvovirus having evolved from a feline-like ancestor and continuing to exchange between hosts. This overview surveys the evolutionary and epidemiological crossover of parvoviruses between dogs and cats, the capacity of canine parvovirus variants to infect felids, and the implications for wild cat populations exposed to domestic dog reservoirs. It examines the molecular changes governing host range, surveillance detecting these viruses in wildlife, and the disease they cause. The synthesis connects viral evolution to spillover risk at the dog-cat interface. It aims to help readers appreciate that parvoviruses are a dynamic, host-switching group whose ongoing evolution blurs the line between canine and feline pathogens, posing a continuing and changing threat to wild felids near domestic animal populations.