Abstract
In August 2019, a suspected outbreak of canine distemper was observed in a masked palm civet farm that also received stray civets and rescued wild civets in Henan Province of China. A virulent canine distemper virus (CDV) strain, named HN19, from vaccinated masked palm civets was the etiologic agent identified in this outbreak using RT-PCR and sequencing of the complete genome. Serological analysis indicated a lower positive rate of CDV-neutralizing antibody in wild civets than in captive civets. Phylogenetic analysis of viral hemagglutinin (H) and the complete genome showed high identities with Rockborn-like strains at the nucleotide (98.7~99.72%) and the closest nucleotide similarity with a strain that killed lesser pandas in China in 1997, but low identities with America-1 strains (vaccine strains). Most importantly, one distinct amino acid exchange in the H protein at position 540 Asp → Gly (D540G), which confers CDV with an improved ability to adapt and utilize the human receptor, was observed in HN19. This study represents the first reported outbreak of a Rockborn-like CDV strain infection in masked palm civets in China. Based on this report, the existence of Rockborn-like strains in Chinese wild animals may not only cause immune failure in captive animals, but may also confer increased zoonotic potential.
Highlights
Morbilliviruses belong to the order Mononegavirales, the family Paramyxoviridae and include a group of highly pathogenic viruses, such as measles virus (MeV), rinderpest virus (RPV) and canine distemper virus (CDV)
A recent study revealed that a substitution in CDV H protein at residue 540, Asp to Gly (D540G), is sufficient to allow CDV to bind to human signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) in vitro, which could cause CDV to potentially adapt human target cells [13]
The present study aimed to investigate the CDV infection in civets, analyze the genotypes of epidemic strains, and report the cross-species transmission of CDV
Summary
Morbilliviruses belong to the order Mononegavirales, the family Paramyxoviridae and include a group of highly pathogenic viruses, such as measles virus (MeV), rinderpest virus (RPV) and canine distemper virus (CDV). In contrast to host-specific Mev and RPV, CDV has higher genetic diversity and causes a highly contagious disease in a wide broad of animals, including dog, civet, phocine, ferret, lion, raccoon, fox, etc. The hemagglutinin (H) gene of CDV encodes the receptor-binding protein. SLAM, as the principal cellular receptor for morbilliviruses, has CDV in Civets in China been shown to be critical for host susceptibility and virus entry, whereas nectin-4 is required for clinical disease and efficient virus shedding [11, 12]. A recent study revealed that a substitution in CDV H protein at residue 540, Asp to Gly (D540G), is sufficient to allow CDV to bind to human SLAM in vitro, which could cause CDV to potentially adapt human target cells [13]
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