Genetic variability and evolutionary patterns of canine parvovirus in South America

Abstract

INTRODUCCIÓN: Canine parvovirus (CPV)is a well-recognized cause of acute and often fata lhemorrhagic gastroenteritis in puppies.The single-stranded DNA genome encodes capsid (VP1/VP2) and non-structural proteins (NS1/NS2). CPV emerged in the late 1970s through an interspecies jump from other carnivores to dogs. The newly emerged CPV(CPV-2) rapidly spread worldwide, causing a pandemic in the new canine host. In 1979, a new genetic lineage (CPV-2a) replaced the original CPV-2 strains in only two years and became the ancestor of all the variants currently circulating worldwide: 2a, 2b, 2c.TheCPV-2a lineage underwent further evolution showing a high substitution rate that resembled fast-evolving RNA viruses.