Molecular Characteristics of Carnivore Protoparvovirus 1 With High Sequence Similarity Between Wild and Domestic Carnivores in Taiwan

Abstract

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV-1) is a DNA virus causing gastrointestinal disease and immunosuppression in various terrestrial carnivores. Domestic dogs and cats are considered the primary CPPV-1 reservoirs. The habitat overlaps of wild carnivores and free-roaming dogs increases the threat of CPPV-1 transmission between them. This study explored the CPPV-1 distribution among wild carnivores through PCR screening and compared the DNA sequences of the partial capsid protein (VP2) between wild and domestic carnivores. In total, 181 samples were screened for the CPPV-1 VP2 gene, including 32 masked palm civets (Paguma larvata), 63 Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata), and 86 crab-eating mongooses (Herpestes urva), from 2015 to 2019 in Taiwan. The average prevalence of CPPV-1 was 17.7% (32/181), with the highest prevalence in masked palm civets (37.5%). In addition, a masked palm civet was coinfected with two CPPV-1 strains. Among the 33 partial VP2 gene sequences, 23 were identical to sequences amplified from domestic dogs and cats in Asia and the remaining 10 were identified for the first time. This study demonstrated that CPPV-1 has circulated between domestic and wild carnivores in rural Taiwan. Therefore, further population control and health management of free-roaming domestic carnivores are recommended.

Important Viral Diseases of Wild Carnivores

“…Although FPV has existed for over 100 years and remains without visible changes today, CPV has undergone significant antigenic changes that arose in dog populations in the 1970s, resulting in sub-antigenic variants. These are CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and finally CPV-2c, respectively (Balboni et al 2021;Chang and Chen 2021). The host range of CPV includes nearly all species of wild and domestic carnivores but is more commonly identified in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familyis) and cats (Felis silvestris catus).…”

“…Results of these studies showed that wild and domestic carnivores share the closely related or same parvoviruses. (Calatayud et al 2020;Balboni et al 2021;Chang and Chen 2021). The pathological and epidemiological features of Carnivore parvoviruses are not reported.…”

“…Vaccination is the most important practice to prevent CPV infection and control the spread of the disease. Because of short-term immunity with inactivated vaccines, modified live vaccines are preferred (Goddard and Leisewitz 2010;Chang and Chen 2021). The effect of CPV diseases on wild populations is not yet fully understood.…”

Fatal canine parvovirus type 2a and 2c infections in wild Chinese pangolins ( Manis pentadactyla ) in southern China

“…Most CPV-2 variants are characterized by a glycine residue at position 300 of the VP2 sequence, which has been demonstrated to be necessary for the infection of canine and felid species (Allison et al, 2016;Voorhees et al, 2019). The findings of numerous studies have indicated that the CPV-2a variant can infect wild civet cats (Paradoxurus musangus ) (Mendenhall et al, 2016), red pandas (Ailurus fulgens ) (Qin, Loeffler, Li, Tian, & Wei, 2007), masked palm civets (Paguma larvata ), and Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata ) (Chang & Chen, 2021) in East Asian countries. The CPV-2c variant has also been confirmed to infect masked palm civets and Chinese ferret badgers (Chang & Chen, 2021).…”

“…The findings of numerous studies have indicated that the CPV-2a variant can infect wild civet cats (Paradoxurus musangus ) (Mendenhall et al, 2016), red pandas (Ailurus fulgens ) (Qin, Loeffler, Li, Tian, & Wei, 2007), masked palm civets (Paguma larvata ), and Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata ) (Chang & Chen, 2021) in East Asian countries. The CPV-2c variant has also been confirmed to infect masked palm civets and Chinese ferret badgers (Chang & Chen, 2021). Moreover, CPV-2 has been established to be highly prevalent in farmed raccoon dogs and has evolved in only 10 years (Lu et al, 2020).…”