Duck circovirus in northern Vietnam: genetic characterization and epidemiological analysis

In the present study, tissue samples collected from 130 ducks from clinically suspected commercial flocks and diseased birds in six provinces of northern Vietnam were tested for duck circovirus (DuCV) infection. The DuCV genome was detected in 56 out of 130 (43.08%) duck samples by PCR. Of 38 tested farms, 26 (68.42%) were positive for the DuCV genome. The rate of the DuCV genome detection in ducks at 3-4 weeks of age (54.17%) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that at <3 (32.43%) and >7 (33.33%) weeks of age and insignificantly higher than that at 5-7 weeks of age (43.33%) (p = 0.11). The genomes of six Vietnamese DuCV isolates were determined. They ranged in length from 1,988 to 1,995 nucleotides, and their nucleotide sequences were 83.24% to 99.69% identical to each other. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome sequences indicated that the DuCV strains circulating in northern Vietnam can be divided into two main genotypes (I and II) and several subgenotypes. The Vietnamese DuCV isolates were closely related to Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean strains. One positively selected site was detected in the capsid protein.