A minute virus of canines (MVC: canine bocavirus) isolated from an elderly dog with severe gastroenteritis, and phylogenetic analysis of MVC strains

Two of the three adult dogs kept in a family developed severe gastroenteritis. From the feces of one of the affected dogs a minute virus of canines (MVC) was detected by PCR and virus isolation. That this virus had recently infected the dogs was indicated by high anti-MVC antibody titers of their sera. No other virus commonly associated with canine gastrointestinal disease was implicated. As no previous association of MVC infection and disease in aged dogs had been described, further characterization of the isolated virus was performed to determine if it had unique pathogenic or genetic properties. Experimental infection of adult dogs did not result in clinical disease and comparison of the viral genome with other MVCs did not reveal any novel elements. The American, Japanese and Korean MVC strains studied were closely related to bocaviruses of bovine and human origin, and appeared to have evolved uniquely in the dog population after dividing from the common ancestor of bocaviruses. Further detailed clinical and virological studies are warranted to define the role of MVCs in disease in adult dogs.