Genomic Characterization of Clinical Canine Parvovirus Type 2c Infection in Wild Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Mexico

TL;DR

This study reports the first complete genome of canine parvovirus in wild coyotes in Mexico, showing it likely came from domestic dogs.

Contribution

First complete genomic characterization of clinical CPV-2c in wild coyotes in Mexico.

Findings

Two CPV-2c isolates from coyotes showed 23 nucleotide mutations, including 8 missense mutations.

Phylogenetic analysis linked the isolates to recent canine strains in Mexico and the US.

A key mutation in the NS1 helicase domain was identified, which is critical for viral replication.

Abstract

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is a primary etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in domestic dogs. Although molecular and serological evidence have confirmed its circulation in wild carnivores, the clinical impact of spillover events in wildlife hosts remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, we investigated CPV-2 from wild coyote pups (Canis latrans) presenting with clinical gastroenteritis in northeastern Mexico. CPV-2 was successfully isolated in MDCK cells, and whole-genome sequencing was performed on two isolates, B55 and B56 (GenBank accession numbers PQ065988 and PQ065989). A comprehensive analysis identified 23 nucleotide mutations, eight of which were missense mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions in structural (VP) and non-structural (NS) proteins. Notably, amino acid substitution L354V was identified in the NS1 helicase domain of both isolates, a region critical for viral replication. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that isolates B55 and B56 cluster within the CPV-2c subtype, showing high genetic relatedness to circulating Mexican and US canine strains which strongly suggests recent cross-species transmission between domestic dogs and wild coyotes. This study provides the first complete genomic characterization of a clinical CPV-2 infection in wild coyotes in Mexico, underscoring the immediate risk of CPV-2c transmission at the domestic animal–wildlife interface.

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