Viruses in diarrhetic dogs include novel kobuviruses and sapoviruses

The close interactions of dogs with humans and surrounding wild life provide frequent opportunities for cross-species virus transmissions. In order to initiate an unbiased characterization of the eukaryotic viruses in the gut of dogs we used deep sequencing of partially purified viral-capsid protected nucleic acids from the feces of eighteen diarrhetic dogs. We identified known canine parvoviruses, coronaviruses, and rotaviruses, and characterized the genomes of the first reported canine kobuviruses (CaKoV) and sapoviruses (CaSaV). CaKoV, the first sequenced canine picornavirus and the closest genetic relative of the diarrhea-causing human Aichi virus, was detected at high frequency in the feces of both healthy and diarrhetic dogs. CaSaV constituted a novel genogroup within the Sapovirus genus, a group of viruses also associated with human and animal diarrhea. These results highlight the high frequency of new virus detection possible even in extensively studied animal species using metagenomics approaches and provides viral genomes for further disease association studies.