Genetic analysis of canine parvovirus type 2c

The sequence of the full-length gene encoding for the main capsid protein VP2 of 58 canine parvovirus (CPV) type 2c strains, along with recent CPV-2a/2b strains, was determined and analysed in comparison with reference CPV isolates. The CPV-2c strains displayed a low genetic variability and shared amino acid changes already detected in recent CPV-2a/2b isolates, with a phylogenetic clustering accounting for their geographical distribution. Analysis of the selection pressure driving CPV evolution confirmed that the VP2 gene is under purifying selection. The emergence and global spread of the new CPV variant provides an interesting model to better understand virus evolution.