Molecular characterization of canine parvovirus variants (CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c) based on the gene in affected domestic dogs in Ecuador.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the presence of the variants of canine parvovirus (CPV)-2 in the city of Quito, Ecuador, due to the high domestic and street-type canine population, and to identify possible mutations at a genetic level that could be causing structural changes in the virus with a consequent influence on the immune response of the hosts.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five stool samples from different puppies with characteristic signs of the disease and positives for CPV through immunochromatography kits were collected from different veterinarian clinics of the city. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing were used to determine the mutations in residue 426 of the gene, which determines the variants of CPV-2; in addition, four samples were chosen for complete sequencing of the gene to identify all possible mutations in the circulating strains in this region of the country.