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Background 2: AMDV-Related Parvoviruses in Wild vs. Farmed Carnivores

Infection with AMDV—or related amdoparvoviruses—is widespread in both wild and farmed mink. Related viruses have also been identified in several other carnivore species, including gray foxes, skunks, raccoon dogs, and red pandas. However, relatively little is known about amdoparvovirus infection biology in the natural environment or the broader distribution of these infections in wild species.

Carnivores, parvoviruses, and the fur trade

Left to right:
Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus);
Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis);
Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides);
Red panda (Ailurus fulgens).

Most importantly, it is unclear whether the pathology of AD in captive mink is typical of disease in the wild, or if factors associated with fur farming have enabled the disease's emergence.

With the increased availability of molecular sequence data, it may now be feasible to gain insights into the natural history and evolution of amdoparvoviruses, potentially shedding light on the emergence of AD.

In this tutorial, we will use the Parvovirus-GLUE project and published sequence data to investigate the distribution, diversity, and evolution of AMDV.