Biblioteca Virtual en Salud

Parvoviruses (family Parvoviridae) are small, single-stranded DNA viruses. Many parvoviral pathogens of medical, veterinary and ecological importance have been identified. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to investigate the diversity of parvoviruses infecting wild and domestic animals in Brazil. We identified 21 parvovirus sequences (including twelve nearly complete genomes and nine partial genomes) in samples derived from rodents, bats, opossums, birds and cattle in Pernambuco, São Paulo, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states. These sequences were investigated using phylogenetic and distance-based approaches, and were thereby classified into eight parvovirus species (six of which have not been described previously), representing six distinct genera in the subfamily Parvovirinae. Our findings extend the known biogeographic range of previously characterized parvovirus species, and the known host range of three parvovirus genera (Dependovirus, Aveparvovirus, and Tetraparvovirus). Moreover, our investigation provides a window into the ecological dynamics of parvovirus infections in vertebrates, revealing that many parvovirus genera contain well-defined sub-lineages that circulate widely throughout the world within particular taxonomic groups of hosts. / This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil (Grant number. 13/14929-1, and Scholarships No. 17/13981-0; 12/24150-9; 15/05778-5; 16/01414-1; 14/20851-8; 06/00572-0; 08/06411-4; 11/06810-9; 11/22663-6; 16/02568-2, 06/00572-0; 09/05994-9 and 11/13821-7). RJG was supported by the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom (Grant number MC_UU_12014/10).