Molecular detection and characterization of carnivore parvoviruses in free‐ranging Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in southern Italy

Abstract

The most important Italian population of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) occurs in the southern part of the peninsula with two isolated sub‐populations of about 250 adult individuals. The Eurasian otter is considered to be near threatened and it is a fully protected species. The aims of this study were to investigate for the first time the occurrence and characterize the parvoviruses included in the species Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 in seven carcasses of road‐killed Eurasian otters from the southern Italy. Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 are responsible for acute gastroenteritis and leukopenia in pets and free‐ranging carnivores. Initial screening of tissue samples by real‐time PCR revealed CPV/FPV DNA in tissue samples of five Eurasian otters; three of them, showed co‐infections by both CPV and FPV. Among the five positive Eurasian otters, we successfully obtained six DNA sequences from four individuals including two CPV‐2a, one CPV‐2b, one CPV‐2c, and two FPV sequences. Comparison of these sequences with 250 VP2 gene sequences deposited in the GenBank database, showed 10 nt differences resulting in two synonymous and eight non‐synonymous substitutions. On the basis of these results, two sequences here found were characterized as new CPV‐2a, one was characterized as new CPV‐2b variant, and one was characterized as FPV‐like mutant. The last two sequences belong to a FPV and CPV‐2c strain respectively. Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 is reported for the first time in the Eurasian otter showing high infection value in southern Italy. Occurrence of this infection should be studied further to understand its possible pathogenicity and virulence to the fragile and isolate Eurasian otter population which live in southern Italy.

Ecology and Infection Dynamics of Multi-Host Amdoparvoviral and Protoparvoviral Carnivore Pathogens

“…On the contrary, with a prevalence of almost 30%, FPV seems to be endemic in the BC river otter population, similar to what is observed in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) [34]. Interestingly, although they shared the same key host-determinant residues, 300Ala and 301Thr, the FPV strains we found in otters differed from those found in raccoons sampled in proximal regions.…”

“…While FPV-like viruses, including MEV, have been circulating in wild and domestic animals for decades, CPV-2 emerged as a dog pathogen during the late 1970s as a variant of FPV or of a closely related virus [16]. These viruses have been identified in a wide array of hosts, such as domestic cats and dogs, wildcats, lynx, cougars, raccoons, skunks, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and many others [16,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Host specificity is determined in part by the affinity of viral capsid proteins to the cellular receptor (transferrin receptor type 1) and single amino acid mutations in the capsid protein can determine whether a host is susceptible to the virus [36,37].…”

Domestic dog origin of Carnivore Protoparvovirus 1 infection in a rescued free‐ranging guiña ( Leopardus guigna) in Chile

“…In addition, abnormalities were not detected in the heart. These characteristics of the infected tissues collected in this case were similar to those found in protoparvovirus infections in other species (Allison et al., 2013, 2014; Bucafusco et al., 2019; Oosthuizen et al., 2019; Viscardi et al., 2019; Wang et al, 2020).…”

Circulation of diverse protoparvoviruses in wild carnivores, Italy

“…Although these viruses are host‐specific, they have been found to occasionally jump species barriers. For example, CPV has been detected not only in domestic dogs but also in wild canids like foxes and wolves (Alfano et al., 2019; Calatayud et al., 2020; Miranda et al., 2017; Zaccaria et al., 2016), as well as in other carnivore species such as domestic cats (Balboni et al., 2018; Decaro et al., 2010, 2011; Ikeda et al., 2000; Truyen & Parrish, 2013), stone martens ( Martes foina ) (Duarte et al., 2013), tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica ) (Steinel et al., 2000), Eurasian otters ( Lutra lutra ) (Viscardi et al., 2019), red pandas ( Ailurus fulgens ) (Qin et al., 2007) and giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) (Guo et al., 2013). On the other hand, FPV, in addition to cats, has been reported in several wild carnivores, including badgers ( Meles meles ) (Calatayud et al., 2020; Steinel et al., 2000), racoons ( Procyon lotor ) (Allison et al., 2013) and Egyptian mongooses ( Herpestes ichneumon ) (Calatayud et al., 2020; Duarte et al., 2013).…”