Prevalence and genetic characterization of canine parvoviruses in Korea

Abstract

The prevalence of canine parvovirus (CPV) variants in dog was investigated in a total of 51 fecal samples submitted over a 2-year period (2005–2007) in Korea. The CPV VP2 gene was amplified and sequenced from the fecal samples, and the results indicated that of the 51 samples, 49 samples belong to the CPV-2a family, 1 to CPV-2b, and the remaining 1 to CPV-2a variant. The VP2 gene of 20 isolates was sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was conducted. With one exception, all of the isolates were closely related to a Taiwanese isolate (CPV T37) and they formed geographical patterns of VP2 gene nucleotide sequences. Our finding showed that CPV-2a was the predominant type and CPV-2b and CPV-2a variant also existed in Korea. Using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and the neutralization (Nt) test, the animals inoculated with CPV-2 developed low antibody titers against the CPV-2 variants in laboratory animal was also identified.