Diverse Viral Pathogens in Australian Canines: Limited Geographic Structure and the First Detection of an RNA Virus in Dingoes

Viruses impose a substantial disease burden on dogs that may pose zoonotic risks through close contacts with humans. Australia's geographic isolation, strict biosecurity measures, and native dingo populations present a unique model for understanding the spread and evolution of canine viruses. However, aside from a few well characterised pathogens like canine parvovirus and canine herpesvirus, genomic data are limited for many common dog viruses, limiting our understanding of their evolution and disease ecology. Using a metatranscriptomic approach we identified the viruses in dogs and dingoes from various geographical locations across mainland Australia and sample types.