Prevalence and genetic characterization of canine parvoviruses in Korea.

The prevalence of canine parvovirus (CPV) variants in dog was investigated in a total of 51 fecal samples submitted over a 2-year period (2005-2007) in Korea. The CPV VP2 gene was amplified and sequenced from the fecal samples, and the results indicated that of the 51 samples, 49 samples belong to the CPV-2a family, 1 to CPV-2b, and the remaining 1 to CPV-2a variant. The VP2 gene of 20 isolates was sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was conducted. With one exception, all of the isolates were closely related to a Taiwanese isolate (CPV T37) and they formed geographical patterns of VP2 gene nucleotide sequences. Our finding showed that CPV-2a was the predominant type and CPV-2b and CPV-2a variant also existed in Korea. Using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and the neutralization (Nt) test, the animals inoculated with CPV-2 developed low antibody titers against the CPV-2 variants in laboratory animal was also identified.