Identification of novel Chaphamaparvovirus in breeding Muscovy ducks

Abstract Since 2022, outbreaks of hepatitis-like disease have been frequently reported in Muscovy duck farms across South China, leading to a significant decrease of egg production and hatchability. With the help of metagenomic sequencing, a novel Chaphamaparvovirus (ChPV) was identified from livers of the diseased ducks. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolated strain shares 61.8-77.4% genome identities with duck-origin Chaphamaparvoviruses, and 44.3-77.4% with avian-origin Chaphamaparvoviruses. In addition, specific probes and primers were designed for quantitative PCR detection. The methods’ specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability were validated, suggesting the suitability for field detection of MuChPV.