Search Results (20)

Despite over four decades since its emergence, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) remains a relevant disease for dogs. Few studies, primarily only recent ones based on phylodynamic and phylogeography approaches, have highlighted the impact of rapid and long-distance transport of dogs on the CPV-2 spreading dynamics. The present study reports the genomic characterization of a CPV-2 strain detected in a dog introduced into Italy from the coasts of North Africa through the Mediterranean Sea route to Europe. The nearly complete CPV-2 sequence was obtained and analyzed. The viral isolate was characterized as a CPV-2b variant, showing genetic signatures distinct from those of CPV-2 strains detected to date in Europe. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic approaches revealed a close correlation with CPV-2 strains recently reported in the Middle East (Turkey and Egypt), which likely originated or co-evolved from Asian ones. It is at least suggestive that the inferred spreading pattern overlaps with the routes often followed by migrants travelling from Asia and Middle East to Europe, passing through Africa. This evidence for the introduction of CPV-2 via the Mediterranean Sea route to Europe highlights the relevant role of the dog movements in the global spread of emerging or re-emerging viral pathogens. Full article

Canine parvovirus type-2 (CPV-2), the primary causative agent of serious canine enteric diseases, is highly contagious and associated with high fatality rates worldwide. To comprehend the current emergence of CPV-2 in central and eastern China, 130 rectal swabs from domestic or stray dogs with gastroenteritis symptoms were collected during 2020–2023. A total of 118 positive samples were detected via polymerase chain reaction, and further used to amplify and sequence the VP2 gene. Sequence analysis of the deduced amino acids of VP2 protein indicated that CPV-2c was the most prevalent variant (n = 106, 89.83%), followed by the novel CPV-2a (n = 10, 8.47%) and CPV-2b (n = 2, 1.69%) variants. The VP2 protein from the obtained and reference strains showed 86.95% (AH2103 and HB2108) to 99.94% identity. Based on the nine predicted recombination events, some prevalent CPV-2c strains were highly similar to previously isolated strains, indicating their complex evolution and recombination. The predicted analysis suggested that mutations in the antigen epitope (Val219Ile, Phe267Tyr, and Asn426Glu) and other mutations (Met87Leu, Ile101Thr, and Ser297Ala) affect the tertiary structure of the VP2 protein. This research will help us understand the recent evolution and mutation of Chinese CPV-2 and provide suggestions for updating the CPV-2 vaccine. Full article

Animals, including wildlife, are part of One-Health concept since many infectious diseases can affect both humans and animals. In this study, 126 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Northern Italy in 2022–2023 were tested by molecular assays for Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 (PPVC-1), Canine adenovirus type 1 and 2 (CAdV-1 and CAdV-2), Circovirus canine (CanineCV), Canine distemper virus (CDV), and Leptospira spp. A total of 39 of 126 (30.9%) red foxes were infected with at least one pathogen and five of these were coinfected: 20/126 (15.9%) red foxes tested positive for PPVC-1, 3/126 (2.4%) for CAdV, 20/126 (15.9%) for CanineCV, and 2/126 (1.6%) for Leptospira spp. DNA. No foxes tested positive for CDV RNA. The pathogens identified were genetically analysed. New findings were reported such as a fox with multiple feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and canine parvovirus type 2b (CPV-2b) infection associated with quasispecies dynamics, typical genetic characteristics of the identified CanineCV, and the first detection in red foxes of Leptospira ST198 related to L. interrogans serogroup Australis. Further studies are necessary to investigate the transmission between domestic animals and wildlife and to understand the role of red foxes in the maintenance of these pathogens not only in the wild but also in urban and peri-urban environments. Full article

Variability has been one of the hallmarks of canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) since its discovery, and several lineages and antigenic variants have emerged. Among these, a group of viruses commonly called Asian CPV-2c has recently been reported with increasing frequency in different regions. Currently, its global epidemiology and evolution are essentially unknown. The present work deals with this information gap by evaluating, via sequence, phylodynamic, and phylogeographic analyses, all the complete coding sequences of strains classified as Asian CPV-2c based on a combination of amino acid markers and phylogenetic analysis. After its estimated origin around 2008, this lineage circulated undetected in Asia until approximately 2012, when an expansion in viral population size and geographical distribution occurred, involving Africa, Europe, and North America. Asia was predicted to be the main nucleus of viral dispersal, leading to multiple introduction events in other continents/countries, where infection establishment, persistence, and rapid evolution occurred. Although the dog is the main host, other non-canine species were also involved, demonstrating the host plasticity of this lineage. Finally, although most of the strains showed an amino acid motif considered characteristic of this lineage, several exceptions were observed, potentially due to convergent evolution or reversion phenomena. Full article

Many highly effective vaccines have been developed to protect dogs against disease caused by canine parvovirus, but despite this vaccine interference by maternally derived antibodies continues to cause immunisation failure. To help overcome this limitation we have developed a novel, recombinant canine parvovirus type 2c vaccine strain, based on the structural and non-structural elements of an established type 2 vaccine. This novel CPV-2c vaccine strain has unique efficacy in the field, it is able to induce sterilising immunity in naïve animals 3 days after vaccination and is able to overcome very high levels of maternally derived antibodies from 4 weeks of age—thus closing the immunity gap to canine parvovirus infection in young puppies. The vaccine strain, named 630a, has been combined with an established canine distemper virus Onderstepoort vaccine strain to produce a new bivalent vaccine (Nobivac DP PLUS), intended to immunise very young puppies in the face of high levels of maternally derived antibody. Here, we describe the onset of immunity and maternal antibody interference studies that support the unique efficacy of the strain, and present overdose studies in both dogs and cats that demonstrate the vaccine to be safe. Full article

Elderly dogs are steadily increasing worldwide as well as veterinarians’ and owners’ interest in their health and wellness. Aging is not a disease, but a combination of changes negatively affecting the organism in general and the immune system in particular, resulting in a decline in protection over time. The aim of this study was to measure the specific serum antibody titers against the main dangerous and widespread viral diseases preventable by core vaccinations in senior and geriatric dogs using the in-practice test VacciCheck. A cohort of three hundred fifty elderly dogs was analyzed for Protective Antibody Titers (PATs) against CPV-2, CDV and CAdV-1. The age ranged from 5 to 19 years, with two hundred fifty-eight seniors (73.7%) and ninety-two geriatrics (26.3%), and 97.4% of them were vaccinated at least once in their lives. More than half of the entire study population (52.9%) had PATs simultaneously for all three diseases, with 80.5% seniors and 19.5% geriatrics. Specific PATs were found in 88.6% of aging dogs for CPV-2, 82.3% for CadV-1 and 66.0% for CDV, demonstrating that unprotected aging dogs represent a minority. Unexpectedly, the larger elderly dogs resulted as more protected than smaller ones for CPV-2. Protection then decreases over time, with geriatric dogs less protected than senior ones. Veterinary practitioners should therefore always consider whether to maintain core vaccinations in aging dogs as in adults on a three-year basis or opt instead for closer boosters (every 1 or 2 years). PATs for core vaccines could then represent a good biomarker of protection and their titration could become a standard of care, especially in such a sensitive period of the dogs’ life. Full article

The first detection of canine parvovirus type-2 (CPV-2) was in the early 1970s, when it was known to cause severe gastroenteritis in dogs. However, it has evolved over the years into CPV-2a within 2 years, into CPV-2b after 14 years, into CPV-2c after 16 years and more recently CPV-2a-, 2b- and 2c-like variants reported in 2019, with a global distribution. Reports on the molecular epidemiology of this virus are missing in most African countries. The report of clinical cases among vaccinated dogs in Libreville in Gabon triggered the execution of this study. The objective of this study was to characterize circulating variants from dogs showing clinical signs suggestive of CPV that were examined by a veterinarian. A total of eight (8) fecal swab samples were collected, and all had positive PCR results. Sequencing, Blast analysis and assembly of two whole genomes and eight partial VP2 sequences were performed, and the sequences submitted to GenBank. Genetic characterization revealed the presence of CPV-2a and CPV-2c variants with predominance of the former. Phylogenetically, the Gabonese CPVs formed distinct groups similar to Zambian CPV-2c and Australian CPV-2a sequences. The antigenic variants CPV-2a and CPV-2c have not yet been reported in Central Africa. However, these CPV-2 variants circulate in young, vaccinated dogs in Gabon. These results suggest additional epidemiological and genomic studies are required in order to evaluate the occurrence of different CPV variants in Gabon and effectiveness of the commercial vaccines used against protoparvovirus in the country. Full article

Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) is the causative agent of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in feline animals. FPV has been evolving over time, and there have been several different strains of the virus identified. Some of these strains may be more virulent or more resistant to current vaccines than others, which highlights the importance of ongoing research and monitoring of FPV evolution. For FPV genetic evolution analysis, many studies focus on the main capsid protein (VP2), but limited information is available on the nonstructural gene NS1 and structural gene VP1. In the present study, we firstly isolated two novel FPV strains circulating in Shanghai, China, and performed full-length genome sequencing for the desired strains. Subsequently, we focused on analyzing the NS1, VP1 gene, and the encoding protein, and conducted a comparative analysis among the worldwide circulating FPV and Canine parvovirus Type 2 (CPV-2) strains, which included the strains isolated in this study. We found that the 2 structural viral proteins, VP1 and VP2, are splice variants, and VP1 has a 143 amino-acid-long N-terminal compared to VP2. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that divergent evolution between FPV and CPV-2 virus strains were clustered mostly by country and year of detection. In addition, much more continuous antigenic type changes happened in the process of CPV-2 circulating and evolution compared to FPV. These results stress the importance of the continuous study of viral evolution and provide a comprehensive perspective of the association between viral epidemiology and genetic evolution. Full article

The life expectancy of our pets has been getting longer in recent years due to new therapeutic opportunities, better nutrition, and better diagnostic approaches. This positive effect, however, has been accompanied by a concomitant increase in neoplasms, particularly in canine patients. Therefore, veterinarians inevitably face new issues related to these diseases, poorly or never investigated in the past, such as the possible side effects resulting from chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how chemotherapy influences the antibody response against CPV-2, CDV, and CAdV-1 in dogs vaccinated before starting chemotherapy. Twenty-one canine patients with different types of malignancies were sampled before, during, and after different chemotherapy protocols to determine their actual levels of seroprotection against CPV-2, CDV, and CadV-1 by using the in-practice test VacciCheck. Differences related to sex, breed size, type of tumor, and chemotherapy protocol were evaluated. No statistically significant changes in antibody protection emerged for any of the chemotherapy protocol used, suggesting that, contrary to expectation, chemotherapy does not have a marked immunosuppressive effect on the post-vaccine antibody response. These results, although preliminary, may be useful in improving the clinical approach to the canine cancer patient, helping veterinarians fully manage their patients, and enabling owners to feel more confident about their pets’ quality of life. Full article

Canine vaccination is the main tool for preventing dangerous and widespread diseases. The strongly recommended (core) dog vaccines are against Canine Parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), and Canine Adenovirus (CAdV-1), but vaccination protocols should be tailored to dog lifestyles. Vaccination guidelines suggest vaccinating adult dogs no more frequently than every 3 years using modified live (attenuated) vaccines (MLV), thus obtaining a long-lasting (sometimes throughout life) specific protection in many but not all animals. The aim of this study was to determine the actual levels of seroprotection against CPV-2, CDV and CAdV-1 in a cohort of Italian dogs by using the in-practice test VacciCheck. A total of 1,027 dogs (951 vaccinated and 76 unvaccinated) were analyzed for Protective Antibody Titers (PATs) against CPV-2, CDV, and CAdV-1. Differences related to sex, age, breed size, health status, and time elapsed since last vaccination were evaluated. Half of the entire canine cohort (50.6%) had PATs for all three viruses (68.5% considering only vaccinated dogs). In particular, 90.8% of dogs were protected against CPV-2, 68.6% against CDV, and 79.8% against CAdV-1. Most dogs remained protected for 3 years after vaccination or longer. Revaccination on a 3-year basis can then be recommended for core MLV vaccines without altering individual’s seroprotection or even herd immunity. Full article

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is responsible for hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs worldwide. High genomic substitution rates in CPV-2 contribute to the progressive emergence of novel variants with increased ability to evade the host immune response. Three studies have analyzed the genomic mutations of CPV-2 variants in Thailand. These investigations were independently conducted at different timepoints. Thus, a retrospective integrated analysis of CPV-2 genomic mutations has not been fully performed. Our study aimed at evaluating the evolutionary changes in CPV-2 in Thailand from 2003 to 2019. Two hundred and sixty-eight Thai CPV-2 nucleotide sequences were used for multiple amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses. From 2003 to 2010, CPV-2a and -2b were the only variants detected. CPV-2c, emerged in 2014, replacing CPV-2a and -2b, and has become a major variant in 2019. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the proposed mutation pattern of VP2 amino acid residues could help distinguish Thai CPV-2 variants. This comprehensive examination provides insight into the genomic evolution of CPV-2 in Thailand since its first reporting in 2003, which may facilitate the surveillance of the potential genetic alteration of emergent CPV-2 variants. Full article

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is an infectious agent relevant to domestic and wild carnivorans. Recent studies documented the introduction and spread of CPV-2c strains of Asian origin in the Italian canine population. We investigated tissue samples from a puppy collected during necropsy for the presence of viral enteropathogens and all samples tested positive only for CPV-2. The full coding sequence of a CPV-2b (VP2 426Asp) strain was obtained. This virus was related to CPV-2c strains of Asian origin and unrelated to European CPV-2b strains. The sequence had genetic signatures typical of Asian strains (NS1: 60Val, 545Val, 630Pro; VP2: 5Gly, 267Tyr, 324Ile) and mutations rarely reported in Asian CPV-2b strains (NS1: 588N; VP2: 370Arg). Phylogenetic analyses placed this strain in well-supported clades, including Asian CPV-2c-like strains, but always as a basal, single-sequence long branch. No recombination was observed for this strain, and we speculate that it could have originated from an Asian CPV-2c-like strain that acquired the 426Asp mutation. This study reports the first evidence of an Asian-like CPV-2b strain in Italy, confirming the occurrence of continuous changes in the global CPV-2 spread. Since positive convergent mutations complicate data interpretation, a combination of phylogenetic and mutation pattern analyses is crucial in studying the origin and evolution of CPV-2 strains. Full article

Canine circovirus (CanineCV) is an emerging virus in canines. Since the first strain of CanineCV was reported in 2012, CanineCV infection has shown a trend toward becoming a global epidemic. CanineCV infection often occurs with coinfection with other pathogens that may aggravate the symptoms of disease in affected dogs. Currently, CanineCV has not been successfully isolated by laboratories, resulting in a lack of clarity regarding its physicochemical properties, replication process, and pathogenic characteristics. To address this knowledge gap, the following results were obtained in this study. First, a CanineCV strain was rescued in F81 cells using infectious clone plasmids. Second, the Rep protein produced by the viral packaging rescue process was found to be associated with cytopathic effects. Additionally, the Rep protein and CanineCV inhibited the activation of the type I interferon (IFN-I) promoter, blocking subsequent expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Furthermore, Rep was found to broadly inhibit host protein expression. We speculate that in CanineCV and canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) coinfection cases, CanineCV promotes CPV-2 replication by inducing immunosuppression, which may increase the severity of clinical symptoms. Full article

Canine parvovirus Type 2 (CPV-2) is a worldwide distributed virus considered the major cause of viral gastroenteritis in dogs. Studies on Italian CPV-2 are restricted to viruses circulating until 2017. Only one study provided more updated information on CPV-2 but was limited to the Sicily region. No information regarding the circulation and genetic characteristics of CPV-2 in Northeast Italy has been made available since 2015. The present study investigated the genetic characteristics of CPV-2 circulating in the dog population of Northeast Italy between 2013 and 2019. The VP2 gene of 67 CPV-2 was sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis was performed to identify patterns of distribution. Phylogenetic and molecular analysis highlighted unique characteristics of Northeast Italian CPV-2 and interestingly depicted typical genetic clustering of the Italian CPV-2 strains, showing the existence of distinct CPV-2 genetic groups. Such analysis provided insights into the origin of some Italian CPV-2 genetic clusters, revealing potential introductions from East European countries and the spread of CPV-2 from South/Central to North Italy. This is the first report that describes the genetic characteristics of recent Italian CPV-2. Tracking the genetic characteristics of CPV-2 nationally and globally may have impact on understanding the evolution and distribution of CPV-2, in particular in light of the current humanitarian emergency involving Ukraine, with the massive and uncontrolled movement of people and pet animals. Full article

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) represents a major viral threat to dogs. Considering the potential effects of pets on antimicrobial resistance, information on the CPV and associated bacterial co-infections is limited. The aim of this study was to analyze the antimicrobial susceptibility and multidrug-resistance profiles of bacterial species from tissue samples of dogs with canine parvovirus infection. A set of PCR assays and sequence analyses was used for the detection and the molecular characterization of the CPV strains and other enteric viruses. Bacterial isolation, the determination of antimicrobial susceptibility via the disk diffusion method, and the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration were performed. The detection of β-lactamase genes and toxin genes for specific bacteria was also carried out. CPV infection was confirmed in 23 dogs. Forty-three bacterial strains were isolated and all showed phenotypic resistance. Seventeen multidrug-resistant bacteria and bacteria with high resistance to third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and metronidazole were detected. Almost 50% of the isolated Enterobacteriaceae were positive for at least one β-lactamase gene, with the majority carrying more genes as well. The evidence for multi-resistant bacteria with the potential for intra- or cross-species transmission should be further considered in a One Health approach. Full article