Canine bocavirus-2 infection and its possible association with encephalopathy in domestic dogs

Abstract

Canine bocaviruses (CBoVs) have been recognized as pathogens associated with intestinal diseases. Hematogenous spreading caused by CBoV has been documented and may potentiate the virus entry across the blood-brain barrier to initiate a brain infection. This study focused attention on CBoV detection in cases of encepahlopathy and attempted to determine its viral localization. A total of 107 dog brains that histologically exhibited encephalopathy (ED) were investigated for the presence of CBoVs using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thirty-three histologically normal brain samples from dogs were used as a control group (CD). CBoV-2 was detected in 15 ED dogs (14.02%) but not in CD dogs (p = 0.02), while no CBoV-1 and -3 were detected. Among the CBoV-2 positive dogs, brain histological changes were characterized by nonsuppurative encephalitis, with inclusion body-like materials in some brains. In situ hybridization (ISH) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the presence of CBoV-2 viral particles in glial cells, supporting neurotropism of this virus. ISH signals were also detected in the intestines, lymphoid organs, and the heart, suggesting both enteral and parenteral infections of this virus. Whole genome characterization and evolutionary analysis revealed genetic diversity of CBoV-2 sequences and it was varying among the different countries where the virus was detected. This study points to a possible association of CBoV-2 with encephalopathy in dogs. It also highlights the genetic diversity and cellular tropism of this virus.

Domestic cat hepadnavirus associated with hepatopathy in cats: A retrospective study

“…The prehybridized sections were then incubated with hybridization buffer containing 5X SSC, 5X Denhardt's solution, 100 μg/mL of salmon sperm DNA, 0.5% (wt/vol) sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 10 ng/mL of DCH probe at 55°C overnight in a humidified slide incubator. Meanwhile, hybridization buffer containing a DIG‐labeled canine bocavirus‐2 (CBoV‐2) probe 9 used as an unrelated probe was placed on negative control slides. Liver sections derived from DCH qPCR‐positive 3 and qPCR‐negative cats, incubated with the constructed DCH probe, were used as additional positive and negative controls, respectively.…”

Epidemiology, genetic diversity, and association of canine circovirus infection in dogs with respiratory disease

“…Slides were then counterstained with hematoxylin. The dark red dots presented within the cellular structure were considered as positive results, whereas the CanineCV PCR-negative section and unrelated probe, canine bocavirus (CBoV) probe 45 , were used as negative controls.…”

Distribution and diversity of dog parvoviruses in wild, free‐roaming and domestic canids of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

“…No other dog parvoviruses were discovered until 2012, when a second member of the genus Bocaparvovirus, the canine bocavirus 2 (CBoV-2, species Carnivore bocaparvovirus 2) was discovered in dogs in association with respiratory disease cases (Kapoor et al, 2012). Followup studies linked CBoV-2 with both respiratory and enteric diseases and highlighted its possible involvement in encephalopathy (Piewbang et al, 2018(Piewbang et al, , 2021. The following year, a third canine bocaparvovirus (CBoV-3, species unassigned) was discovered in the liver of a dog with severe gastroenteritis (Li et al, 2013), but no follow-up studies have been published as of yet.…”