Canine parvoviruses in New Zealand form a monophyletic group distinct from the viruses circulating in other parts of the world

•CPV-2 was most common among unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated puppies.•Of 70 positive samples, 69 were subtyped as CPV-2a and one as CPV-2.•All contemporary New Zealand CPV-2 sequences appeared to be monophyletic.•No clustering of local CPV-2 based on dog's age or vaccination status was evident.•Our data support a singular, or infrequent, introduction of CPV-2 to New Zealand.

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) is a well-recognized cause of acute haemorrhagic enteritis in dogs worldwide. The aim of the current study was to identify which CPV-2 subtypes circulate among dogs in New Zealand, and to investigate the evolutionary patterns of contemporary CPV-2 viruses. Faecal samples were collected from 79 dogs with suspected CPV-2 infection over the period of 13 months, and tested for the presence of CPV-2 DNA by PCR. Of 70 positive samples, 69 were subtyped as CPV-2a and one as CPV-2. A majority of CPV-2 positive samples were collected from unvaccinated or not-fully vaccinated puppies ≤6 months of age. The haplotype network produced from New Zealand CPV-2 sequences showed no structure when assessed based on location, vaccination status or age of the animals sampled. International haplotype network indicated that, unlike CPV-2 from other countries, the population of CPV-2 in New Zealand appeared to be monophyletic.