Molecular epidemiology of Aleutian mink disease virus from fecal swab of mink in northeast China

Abstract

Background: Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (AMDV) causes Aleutian mink disease (AMD), which is a serious infectious disease of mink. The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of AMDV in northeast China to control and prevent AMD from further spreading. This study for the first time isolated AMDV from fecal swab samples of mink in China. Results: A total of 157/291 (54.0%) of the fecal swab samples were positive for AMDV. Of these, 23 AMDV positive samples were randomly selected for sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis based on the acquired partial fragments of VP2 gene with the hypervariable region. Comparative DNA sequence analysis of 23 AMDV isolates with a reference nonpathogenic (AMDV-G) strain revealed 8.3% difference in partial VP2 nucleotide sequences. Amino acid alignment indicated the presence of several genetic variants, as well as one single amino acid residue deletion. The most concentrated area of variation was located in the hypervariable region of VP2 protein. According to phylogenetic analysis, the Chinese AMDV strains and the other reference AMDV strains from different countries clustered into three groups (clades A, B and C). Most of the newly sequenced strains were found to form a Chinese-specific group, which solely consisted of Chinese AMDV strains. Conclusion: These findings indicated that a high genetic diversity was found in Chinese AMDV strains and the virus distribution were not dependent on geographical origin. Both local and imported AMDV positive species were prevalent in the Chinese mink farming population. The genetic evidence of AMDV variety and epidemic isolates have importance in mink farming practice.

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…Throughout the years, many animal viruses have emerged and have caused serious financial and public health repercussions in many regions worldwide. A prime example of these is the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), which poses a serious threat to mink since it is the most significant disease in their farming around the world [ 135 ]. Therefore, it is of great importance to produce effective treatments and vaccines to prevent significant losses caused by AMDV.…”

AMDV Vaccine: Challenges and Perspectives

“…Throughout the years, many animal viruses have emerged and have caused serious financial and public health repercussions in many regions worldwide. A prime example of these is the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), which poses a serious threat to mink since it is the most significant disease in their farming around the world [140]. Further, escaped domesticated mink that are contaminated with AMDV have the potential of acting as viral reservoir, which is why the wild population of mink are endangered [107].…”

Seroprevalence and Molecular Epidemiology of Aleutian Disease in Various Countries during 1972–2021: A Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The study provided evidence for new changes in the sequences of AMDV NS1 and VP2 genes. In 2020, the AMDV was isolated from faecal swab samples in China [56].…”