Identification and full-genome sequencing of canine kobuvirus in canine fecal samples collected from Anhui Province, eastern China

Abstract

Canine kobuvirus (CaKoV), a newly described virus, is the causative agent of gastroenteritis in dogs. In this study, 57 fecal samples from dogs with diarrhea in Anhui Province, eastern China, were collected. Among these, five samples were identified to be infected with CaKoV, by polymerase chain reaction targeting the CaKoV 3D gene. The five CaKoV strains were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The sequences of VP1 from the five CaKoV strains were 93.6%-96.1% identical to each other and 91.75%-97.95% identical to other reported CaKoV VP1 sequences. In addition, the complete genome of one strain was successfully amplified and sequenced. The genome consisted of 8223 nucleotides and shared 94.6%-97.0% nucleotide and 93.1%-94.0% amino acid sequence identity with other CaKoV isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CaKoV strain from Anhui Province was similar to other Chinese strains, and it was more closely related to feline and mouse kobuviruses than to sheep and bovine kobuviruses. Interestingly, all of the CaKoV-positive samples were coinfected with canine parvovirus. The finding of CaKoV infection in dogs with diarrhea and coinfection with canine parvovirus are a cause for concern and highlight the need for management and preventive measures.

Epidemiology and genetic characteristics of murine kobuvirus from faecal samples of Rattus losea, Rattus tanezumi and Rattus norvegicus in southern China

“…The phylogenetic analysis based on our complete VP1 nt sequences (with the murine rodent host species shown in italics) indicates that our VP1 sequences clustered closely with those from China but were separated from MuKV VP1 sequences from Hungary and Vietnam (). This demonstrates that the MuKV sequences from China may share a similar evolutionary background and circulate among the various murine rodent populations in China [48]. This provides evidence of geographic clustering of the analysed VP1 sequences, though geographic clustering was not observed regarding the 3D region.…”

“…2 ). This demonstrates that the MuKV sequences from China may share a similar evolutionary background and circulate among the various murine rodent populations in China [ 48 ]. This provides evidence of geographic clustering of the analysed VP1 sequences, though geographic clustering was not observed regarding the 3D region.…”

Evolutionary Origin, Genetic Recombination, and Phylogeography of Porcine Kobuvirus

“…Furthermore, the analysis results suggest that cross-species transmission of Kobuviruses exists. As companion animals, canines and felines have very close contact with humans, and canine and feline Kobuvirus can be detected in feces [ 3 , 72 ], which makes it possible for the virus to spread to canines and felines through fecal-oral transmission. To further understand the relationship between different species of Kobuvirus, after analyzing the amino acid sequence and structure of the VP1 protein, we found that there are two motifs with >95% homology in mammalian Kobuviruses, except for rabbit and bat Kobuviruses ( Figure S1 ), and both motifs are exposed on the exterior of the VP1 protein ( Figure 4 and Figure S2 ), suggesting that these two motifs may be key points for Kobuvirus to infect different mammalian cells.…”

“…A previous study has shown that there is a recombination event in PKV [ 26 ]; therefore, recombination might play an important role in the evolution of PKV. In recent years, Kobuviruses have been found in other animals, including bats, canines, felines, and goats, they are quite different from previous Kobuviruses [ 3 , 11 , 27 ]. An epidemiological survey of Kobuviruses in Vietnam found frequent cross-species transmission of Kobuviruses both within and among mammalian species [ 11 ].…”

“…According to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV, , accessed on 1 September 2022), Kobuvirus belongs to the Picornaviridae family and comprises six species (A to F). Viruses of species A have been found in humans and canines [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], viruses from species C have been found in swine [ 5 ], and viruses from species B, D, E, and F have been found in cattle, sheep, rabbits, and bats [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Porcine Kobuvirus (PKV) was first identified in healthy and diarrheal swine herds in Hungary and China in 2007 [ 12 , 13 ], after which it was detected in Japan, South Korea, the USA, the Czech Republic, East Africa, and Thailand within a short period of time [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”