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. 2011 Mar 2;42(1):43.
doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-42-43.

Genetic complexity and multiple infections with more Parvovirus species in naturally infected cats

Mara Battilani  1 , Andrea Balboni, Martina Ustulin, Massimo Giunti, Alessandra Scagliarini, Santino Prosperi
Affiliations

Genetic complexity and multiple infections with more Parvovirus species in naturally infected cats

Mara Battilani et al. Vet Res. .

Abstract

Parvoviruses of carnivores include three closely related autonomous parvoviruses: canine parvovirus (CPV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and mink enteritis virus (MEV). These viruses cause a variety of serious diseases, especially in young patients, since they have a remarkable predilection for replication in rapidly dividing cells. FPV is not the only parvovirus species which infects cats; in addition to MEV, the new variants of canine parvovirus, CPV-2a, 2b and 2c have also penetrated the feline host-range, and they are able to infect and replicate in cats, causing diseases indistinguishable from feline panleukopenia. Furthermore, as cats are susceptible to both CPV-2 and FPV viruses, superinfection and co-infection with multiple parvovirus strains may occur, potentially facilitating recombination and high genetic heterogeneity. In the light of the importance of cats as a potential source of genetic diversity for parvoviruses and, since feline panleukopenia virus has re-emerged as a major cause of mortality in felines, the present study has explored the molecular characteristics of parvovirus strains circulating in cat populations. The most significant findings reported in this study were (a) the detection of mixed infection FPV/CPV with the presence of one parvovirus variant which is a true intermediate between FPV/CPV and (b) the quasispecies cloud size of one CPV sample variant 2c. In conclusion, this study provides new important results about the evolutionary dynamics of CPV infections in cats, showing that CPV has presumably started a new process of readaptation in feline hosts.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Unrooted phylogenetic tree constructed with the nucleotide sequences of the VP2 gene of parvovirus strains. Phylogenetic tree was constructed with the nucleotide sequences of the VP2 gene of parvovirus strains generated in this study and other FPV sequences obtained from the GenBank database. Horizontal branch lengths are drawn to scale (nucleotide substitutions per site), and bootstrap values above 70% are indicated on the respective branches. Identical VP2 sequences were not included in the analysis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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