Avaliação molecular da ocorrência dos vírus da cinomose, parvovírus canino e poxvírus em cães da zona rural de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Viral infections in domestic dogs negatively impact animal health, and concerning poxviruses, they have zoonotic potential, threatening human health. Furthermore, the harmful proximity of the domestic-wildlife interface may favor spillover events, as some viruses from domestic animals have a broad range of susceptible hosts. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), and poxvirus in dogs from the rural region of Minas Gerais. The integrity and viability of the samples were determined through GAPDH and β-actin assays. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used for CPV-2, targeting the gene region encoding the VP2 protein, reverse transcriptase followed by qPCR (RT-qPCR) for the gene region encoding the N protein of CDV, and conventional PCR for poxvirus targeting the putative metalloproteinase gene. All samples were positive in the GAPDH and β-actin assays, confirming the successful extraction of genetic material and the absence of PCR inhibitors in the samples. Amidst the 105 samples, 0.95% (n = 1/105) tested positive for CDV, 5.72% (n = 6/105) for CPV-2, and among the positives, one dog (14.28%; n = 1/7) was co-infected with CDV and CPV-2. Poxviruses were not identified in the dogs evaluated. Of the six mesoregions of Minas Gerais evaluated, 83.3% (5/6) had at least one infected animal, including Southwest Minas Gerais, Campo das Vertentes, Western Minas Gerais, Central Mineira, and Zona da Mata. No detection occurred in the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba regions. Genetic material from CPV-2 and CDV had not been detected in rural areas of Minas Gerais before this study. Therefore, the circulation of canine parvovirus and distemper virus in rural dogs indicates that more research should be directed toward rural domestic and wild populations in the state of Minas Gerais, as these pathogens cause severe and fatal diseases.