Prevalence and Characteristics of Canine Parvovirus Type 2 in Henan Province, China

To investigate the epidemic profile and genetic diversity of canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), a total of 111 clinical samples collected from dogs suspected of CPV-2 infection in 10 cities of Henan province of China during 2020 to 2021 were screened by PCR. The results showed a CPV-2-positive rate of 88.29% (98/111). Nearly full-length genomes of 98 CPV-2 strains were sequenced and analyzed. CPV-2c strains (91.84%, 90/98) were significantly higher than that of new CPV-2a strains (8.16%, 8/98) in Henan province without detecting other CPV genotypes, indicating that CPV-2c has become the dominant genotype in Henan province. A phylogenetic analysis of NS1 and VP2 amino acids grouped the strains in this study with Asian strains, which clustered into an identical branch. Based on the CPV-2 VP2 sequences in this study and available in the NCBI database, the adaptation analyses showed that 17 positive selection sites and 10 parallel evolution sites were identified in the VP2 protein of CPV-2, of which three sites (sites 5, 370, and 426) were both under positive selection pressure and parallel evolution. Interestingly, two amino acid mutations (A5G and Q370R) were also observed in the VP2 proteins of 82 CPV-2c strains in this study, which differed from the earlier CPV-2c strain (GU380303) in China. In addition, a unique mutation (I447M) was observed in the VP2 protein of five CPV-2c strains, which was first reported in China. This study provides powerful insight to further our understanding of the epidemic status and evolution of CPV-2 in China. CPV-2 was the original virus strain identified in dogs, which cause an acute and lethal disease in dogs. Subsequently, the original CPV-2 was replaced throughout the world by novel antigenic variants (e.g., CPV-2a, CPV-2b, new CPV-2a, new CPV-2b, and CPV-2c). Currently, the epidemiological characteristics of CPV-2 in Henan province of China is still unclear. In our study, a total of 98 nearly full-length genomes of CPV-2 strains were obtained to explore prevalence and genetic evolution of CPV-2 in Henan Province. Moreover, the epidemiological and genetic evolution of CPV-2 in China since its discovery was also investigated. The results of this study will provide valuable information regarding the evolution of CPV-2 strains in China.