Analysis of canine parvovirus sequences from wolves and dogs isolated in Italy.

The VP2 genes of Italian canine parvovirus (CPV) type 2 strains isolated from dogs and wolves were sequenced and a three-dimensional model of the VP2 capsid protein was constructed. Two mutations were detected in the VP2 sequences of the Italian strains: one at residue 297 and one at residue 265. Variant 297 is the predominant CPV isolate in Europe, whereas variant 265 has never been detected before. The mutation at residue 265 causes a disruption in a G strand of the beta-barrel in the VP2 protein. Data on strains isolated from wolves demonstrated that the same strain of CPV can circulate among domestic and wild canids; therefore, this result leads us to exclude the possibility that a separate parvovirus pool exists in wild populations.