Molecular epidemiology of canine picornavirus in Hong Kong and Dubai and proposal of a novel genus in Picornaviridae

• CanPV is detected in dogs from Hong Kong and Dubai.
• CanPV was clustered with FePV, BatPV 1-3, IaioPV1 and BoPV.
• The Ka/Ks ratios of all the coding regions of CanPV were < 0.1.
• CanPV, FePV, BatPV 1-3, IaioPV1 and BoPV should constitute a novel genus.

Previously, we reported the discovery of a novel canine picornavirus (CanPV) in the fecal sample of a dog. In this molecular epidemiology study, CanPV was detected in 15 (1.11%) of 1347 canine fecal samples from Hong Kong and one (0.76%) of 131 canine fecal samples from Dubai, with viral loads 1.06 × 103 to 6.64 × 106 copies/ml. Complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that CanPV was clustered with feline picornavirus (FePV), bat picornavirus (BatPV) 1 to 3, Ia io picornavirus 1 (IaioPV1) and bovine picornavirus (BoPV), and this cluster was most closely related to the genera Enterovirus and Sapelovirus. The Ka/Ks ratios of all the coding regions were < 0.1. According to the definition of the Picornavirus Study Group of ICTV, CanPV, FePV, BatPV 1 to 3, IaioPV1 and BoPV should constitute a novel genus in Picornaviridae. BEAST analysis showed that this genus diverged from its most closely related genus, Sapelovirus, about 49 years ago.