Data from: Molecular analysis of carnivore Protoparvovirus detected in white blood cells of naturally infected cats

Background: Cats are susceptible to feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) variants 2a, 2b and 2c. Detection of FPV and CPV variants in apparently healthy cats and their persistence in white blood cells (WBC) and other tissues when neutralising antibodies are simultaneously present, suggest that parvovirus may persist long-term in the tissues of cats post-infection without causing clinical signs. The aim of this study was to screen a population of 54 cats from Sardinia (Italy) for the presence of both FPV and CPV DNA within buffy coat samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA viral load, genetic diversity, phylogeny and antibody titres against parvoviruses were investigated in the positive cats. Results: Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 DNA was detected in nine cats (16.7%). Viral DNA was reassembled to FPV in four cats and to CPV (CPV-2b and 2c) in four cats; one subject showed an unusually high genetic complexity with mixed infection involving FPV and CPV-2c. Antibodies against parvovirus were detected in all subjects which tested positive to DNA parvoviruses. Conclusions: The identification of FPV and CPV DNA in the WBC of asymptomatic cats, despite the presence of specific antibodies against parvoviruses, and the high genetic heterogeneity detected in one sample, confirmed the relevant epidemiological role of cats in parvovirus infection.

研究背景：猫易感猫泛白细胞减少症病毒（feline panleukopenia virus, FPV）以及犬细小病毒（canine parvovirus, CPV）的2a、2b、2c亚型。现有研究在外观健康的猫体内检出FPV与CPV亚型，且当中和抗体同时存在时，病毒仍可在白细胞（white blood cells, WBC）及其他组织中持续存在，这提示细小病毒可在感染后长期寄居于猫体内而不引发临床症状。本研究旨在采用聚合酶链式反应（polymerase chain reaction, PCR），对来自意大利撒丁岛的54只猫的血沉棕黄层样本筛查FPV与CPV DNA的存在情况，并针对检测结果呈阳性的个体，分析其病毒DNA载量、遗传多样性、系统发育特征以及抗细小病毒抗体滴度。
研究结果：本研究在9只猫（占比16.7%）体内检出了食肉动物原细小病毒1型（Carnivore protoparvovirus 1）DNA。其中4只猫的病毒DNA被分型为FPV，4只被分型为CPV（CPV-2b与CPV-2c）；另有1只个体呈现出异常高的遗传复杂性，存在FPV与CPV-2c的混合感染。所有细小病毒DNA检测呈阳性的个体，均检出了抗细小病毒抗体。
研究结论：尽管体内存在抗细小病毒的特异性抗体，但研究人员仍在无症状猫的白细胞中检出FPV与CPV DNA，且在1份样本中检测到高度遗传异质性，这证实了猫在细小病毒感染中具有重要的流行病学意义。