Abstract
The mink circovirus (MiCV), a newly discovered pathogen, is associated with diarrhea in farmed minks. The prevalence and economic importance of this virus remain poorly understood, and a quantitative method for diagnosis of MiCV infection has not been established. This research aims to develop a highly specific, sensitive, and quantitative assay for MiCV. A Real-Time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed to detect different isolates of the MiCV in mink samples. The qPCR system is highly sensitive with a detection limit of as low as 10 viral DNA copies. The specificity of this qPCR assay was supported by the absence of cross-reaction with other pathogens. The coefficients of variation were low for both inter-assay and intra-assay variabilities. In addition, the results also expressed the distribution of MiCV in infectious mink tissues with high levels of virus in the skeletal muscle and heart. The heart occupied a higher proportion than other tissues, which can be considered the primary source of test material. This qPCR method could be a useful tool for epidemiological studies and disease management. This method for MiCV is highly specific, sensitive, repeatable, quantitative, and can rapidly determine viral load levels in different tissues samples.
Highlights
The mink circovirus (MiCV) as reported initially as a novel pathogen in diarrheal minks in Dalian, China (Lian et al, 2014)
The results indicated that only detected MiCV gave amplification products
The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay expressed a high repeatability with coefficient of variation (CV) within runs and between runs that ranged from 0.73 to 1.69% and 0.97 to 2.18%, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
The mink circovirus (MiCV) as reported initially as a novel pathogen in diarrheal minks in Dalian, China (Lian et al, 2014). MiCV is a small non-enveloped icosahedral virus with a circular single-stranded DNA genome of 1,753 nucleotides (Desselberger, 2002). Circoviruses have been identified in numerous species associated with various clinical disorders (Decaro et al, 2014; Adams et al, 2017; Breitbart et al, 2017), including lethal diseases and asymptomatic infections (Todd, 2004). Circovirus infections are associated to immunosuppression and lymphoid depletion, which likely increase the severity of secondary infection (Segalés, 2012). The pathogenic role of MiCV in single or polymicrobial infections is unclear, and the relationship between MiCV distribution in
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