Detection of Arctic and European cluster of canine distemper virus in north and center of Iran

Canine distemper virus (CDV) creates a very contagious viral multi-systemic canine distemper (CD) disease that affects most species of Carnivora order. The virus is genetically heterogeneous, particularly in section of the hemagglutinin (H) gene. Sequence analysis of the H gene can be useful to investigate distinction of various lineages related to geographical distribution and CDV molecular epidemiology. Since vaccination program is conducted only in large cities of Iran, CD still remains as one of the major causes of death in dogs in this country. In order to monitor H gene, CDV has been detected in 14 out of 19 sampled dogs through the amplification of nucleoprotein (NP) gene in nested-PCR assay. In the next step 665 bp of H gene was amplified in 9 out of 14 NP-gene positive dogs. Phylogenetic analysis distinguished two distinct CDV genotypes in Iran. JN941238 has been embedded in European cluster and JN941239 has been embedded in Arctic cluster. Nucleic analysis has been shown high difference among both Iranian CDV lineages with CDV vaccine strains.