Phylogenetic analysis of canine distemper viruses isolated from vaccinated dogs in Wuhan

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is an infectious agent that can cause canine distemper (CD), a lethal disease. Immunization is an effective method to control the infection; however, some cases of failed immunization are observed in animal hospitals every year. Therefore, in this study, we conducted phylogenetic analysis of the H gene of isolated CDVs. We first constructed a modified MDCK cell line, which constitutively expressed signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), a specific receptor for CDV. The modified cell line was more suitable for propagation of CDV than the original MDCK cell line. Next, 9 CDVs were successfully isolated from 20 dogs with suspected CD-associated diseases. Of these CDV isolates, three were from vaccinated dogs. The analysis indicated that the H gene sequences of these 9 viruses were highly similar. The present study further supported the finding that the majority of CDV in China belonged to the genotype Asia-1, which was different from vaccine strains (America-1 and America-2). Although the clinical application of the vaccine suggested that it is effective against CDV infection, it remains an open question whether a novel vaccine based on the genotype of the Asia-1 strain would be more suitable for protection of dogs against Asia-1 CDVs infection.