Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 infection of golden jackals Canis aureus in Serbia.

Parvoviruses are among the major animal pathogens that can cause considerable health disorders ranging from subclinical to lethal in domestic and wild animals. Golden jackal (Canis aureus), an expanding European species, is a reservoir of many pathogens, including vector-borne diseases and zoonoses. Given the importance of parvovirus infections in dogs and cats, this study aimed to unfold the virus prevalence and molecular characterisation in the golden jackal population in Serbia. The spleen samples from 68 hunted jackals during 2022/2023 were tested for the VP2-specific genome region of Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 by PCR. BLAST analysis of partial VP2 sequences obtained from three animals (4.4%) revealed the highest similarity to Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1, genogroup Feline panleukopenia virus, which is the second report on FPV infection in jackals. Based on specific amino acid residues within partial VP2, the jackals' Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 was also classified as FPV. One jackal's strain showed two synonymous mutations at positions 699 and 1167. Although species cross-transmission could not be established, jackals' health should be maintained by preventing the transmission of viruses to native species and vice versa. Although jackals are considered pests, their role as natural cleaners is of greater importance. Therefore, further monitoring of their health is needed to understand the influence of infectious diseases on population dynamics and to determine the relationship between domestic predators and jackals and the direction of cross-species transmission.

Molecular Detection of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Italy.

Animals, including wildlife, are part of One-Health concept since many infectious diseases can affect both humans and animals. In this study, 126 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Northern Italy in 2022-2023 were tested by molecular assays for Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 (PPVC-1), Canine adenovirus type 1 and 2 (CAdV-1 and CAdV-2), Circovirus canine (CanineCV), Canine distemper virus (CDV), and Leptospira spp. A total of 39 of 126 (30.9%) red foxes were infected with at least one pathogen and five of these were coinfected: 20/126 (15.9%) red foxes tested positive for PPVC-1, 3/126 (2.4%) for CAdV, 20/126 (15.9%) for CanineCV, and 2/126 (1.6%) for Leptospira spp. DNA. No foxes tested positive for CDV RNA. The pathogens identified were genetically analysed. New findings were reported such as a fox with multiple feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and canine parvovirus type 2b (CPV-2b) infection associated with quasispecies dynamics, typical genetic characteristics of the identified CanineCV, and the first detection in red foxes of Leptospira ST198 related to L. interrogans serogroup Australis. Further studies are necessary to investigate the transmission between domestic animals and wildlife and to understand the role of red foxes in the maintenance of these pathogens not only in the wild but also in urban and peri-urban environments.

Feline Parvovirus Lethal Outbreak in a Group of Adult Cohabiting Domestic Cats.

Feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious and often fatal disease in cats. The virus, known as feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), primarily affects kittens and unvaccinated cats. It is transmitted through contact with infected cats or their bodily fluids, as well as contaminated objects and environments. The diagnosis of FPV infection can be confirmed through a combination of clinical signs, blood tests, and fecal testing. Prevention through vaccination is recommended for all cats. This case report describes an outbreak of feline panleukopenia in a group of unvaccinated domestic cats that resulted in acute mortality. The lesions were evaluated using histopathology, and the specific viral strain was characterized using molecular techniques. The clinical course of the outbreak was peracute, with a hemorrhagic pattern and 100% of lethality. The observed clinical-pathological pattern was unusual; nevertheless, molecular studies did not highlight peculiar genomic features of the parvovirus isolate. The outbreak affected 3 out of 12 cats in a very short time. However, the prompt application of biosecurity measures and vaccination resulted in an effective interruption of virus spread. In conclusion, we could assume that the virus found the ideal conditions to infect and replicate at high titers, resulting in a particularly aggressive outbreak.

Not Asian Anymore: Reconstruction of the History, Evolution, and Dispersal of the "Asian" Lineage of CPV-2c.

Variability has been one of the hallmarks of canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) since its discovery, and several lineages and antigenic variants have emerged. Among these, a group of viruses commonly called Asian CPV-2c has recently been reported with increasing frequency in different regions. Currently, its global epidemiology and evolution are essentially unknown. The present work deals with this information gap by evaluating, via sequence, phylodynamic, and phylogeographic analyses, all the complete coding sequences of strains classified as Asian CPV-2c based on a combination of amino acid markers and phylogenetic analysis. After its estimated origin around 2008, this lineage circulated undetected in Asia until approximately 2012, when an expansion in viral population size and geographical distribution occurred, involving Africa, Europe, and North America. Asia was predicted to be the main nucleus of viral dispersal, leading to multiple introduction events in other continents/countries, where infection establishment, persistence, and rapid evolution occurred. Although the dog is the main host, other non-canine species were also involved, demonstrating the host plasticity of this lineage. Finally, although most of the strains showed an amino acid motif considered characteristic of this lineage, several exceptions were observed, potentially due to convergent evolution or reversion phenomena.