Rhizobium Phage-Like Microvirus Genome Sequence Identified in Wastewater in Arizona, USA, in November 2020 Encodes an Endolysin and a Putative Multiheme Cytochrome c-like Protein.

We describe the genome (4,696 nucleotides [GC content, 56%; coverage, 3,641×) of MAZ-Nov-2020, a microvirus identified from municipal wastewater in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, in November 2020. The MAZ-Nov-2020 genome encodes major capsid protein, endolysin, replication initiator protein, and two hypothetical proteins, one of which was predicted to likely be a membrane-associated multiheme cytochrome c.

Canine Parvovirus 2C Identified in Dog Feces from Poop Bags Collected from Outdoor Waste Bins in Arizona USA, June 2022.

Canine parvoviruses (CPVs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. However, surveillance has been largely limited to clinically manifest cases, resulting in a dearth of CPV genomic information on virus type, abundance, and diversity, limiting our understanding of its evolutionary dynamics. We tested the feasibility of using dog feces in poop bags collected from outdoor waste bins as a source for environmental surveillance of CPV. After polymerase chain reaction, long-read sequencing, and bioinformatics, we identified that CPV-2c was present in Arizona, USA, in June 2022 and documented variants with amino acid substitutions 530E and 101K in NS1 and NS2, respectively. Based on publicly available sequence data in GenBank as of January 2023, the CPV genome described here represents the only CPV genome described in the USA from the 2022 season, despite news of CPV outbreak-associated fatalities in dogs in the USA. This highlights the need for more studies that document CPV complete or near complete genomes, as well as experimental studies, to further our understanding of its evolutionary process.