Frontiers in veterinary science
Epidemiological investigation and whole-genome genetic characterization of duck circovirus in Shandong Province of eastern China
By Zhang Y, Yu K, Wang W and 5 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Duck circovirus (DuCV) is a contagious immunosuppressive pathogen in duck populations, causing severe economic losses in the global waterfowl breeding industry. Shandong Province is a major duck-producing region in China, with one of the country's largest duck populations.
Methods
In this study, we systematically investigated the prevalence, genetic characteristics, and major proteins of DuCV strains found in Shandong Province. A total of 630 cloacal swab samples were collected from more than 60 duck farms across 17 cities of Shandong province in 2023. Duck circovirus and other common duck pathogens were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Whole-genome sequencing was further performed to acquire three representative complete DuCV genome sequences, followed by comprehensive phylogenetic and genotypic analyses.
