Molecular detection and characterization of canine parvovirus variants in Morogoro and Arusha regions of Tanzania

Abstract

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a significant pathogen that affects wild and domestic dogs globally, resulting in intricate pathological and epidemiological consequences, primarily observed in puppies, such as haemorrhagic enteritis and myocarditis. This virus is categorized into three strains: CPV-2a (which replaced the original strain CPV-2), CPV-2b, and CPV-2c. The objective of this study was to determine the status of CPV-2 and its circulating variants in domestic dogs residing in the Morogoro and Arusha regions of Tanzania. Rectal swabs were collected from a total of 143 domestic dogs with gastroenteritis between 2020 and 2021. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting the VP2 gene was used to detect canine parvovirus and its circulating variants. Out of 143 dogs, 10.48% tested positive for CPV-2. Five of the positive PCR products were sequenced using primers targeting the CPV-2b variant and showed nucleotide identities of 99.53% to 100% with other CPV-2 isolates deposited in GenBank from South Korea and China. This study documents the first detection of the CPV-2b variant in Tanzania using PCR and partial sequencing of the CPV-2 VP2 gene. The findings stand as significant milestone, shedding light on the global distribution of this variant of parvovirus. Further studies on the detection of circulating variants in other regions and characterization of the CPV-2 VP2 gene are recommended to aid strategic parvovirus infection preventive measures