Molecular Characteristics and Phylogenetic Analysis of Short Beak and Dwarfism Syndrome-Related Novel Goose Parvovirus

Abstract Short beak and dwarfism syndrome (SBDS) emerged in cherry valley duck flocks in China in 2015, and novel goose parvovirus (NGPV) was proved to be the etiological agent of SBDS. To date, whether SBDS-related NGPV isolates possess common molecular characteristics remains unknown. In this study, three new NGPV strains (namely, SDHT16, SDJN19, and SDLC19) were isolated from diseased ducks showing typical SBDS and successfully passaged in embryonated goose or cherry valley duck embryo. The whole genomes of three NGPV strains shared 98.9%–99.7% homologies between each other but showed slightly lower homologies (95.2%–96.1%) with the classical GPV strains. A total of 16 common amino acid point mutations were produced in the VP1 proteins of six NGPV strains (SDHT16, SDJN19, SDLC19, QH, JS1, and SDLC01) compared with the classical Chinese GPV strains, among which nine amino acid sites were identical to the European GPV strain B. The non-structural protein Rep1 of the six NGPV strains generated 12 common amino acid mutations compared with the classical GPV strains. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Chinese NGPV strains clustered with the European SBDS-related NGPV strains, forming a separate branch, distinct from the group formed by the classical GPV strains. Taken together, the present study unveils the common molecular characteristics of the NGPV isolates and directs the conclusion that the Chinese NGPV isolates probably originate from a common ancestor with the European SBDS-related NGPV.