GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE ATTACHMENT (H) PROTEIN GENE OF CURRENT FIELDISOLATES OF CANINE-DISTEMPER VIRUS

To characterize the variability of recent field isolates of canine dis temper virus (CDV) from different hosts and geographical areas, we con ducted nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene encoding the haemagglu tinin (H), the attachment protein of this virus. Pronounced difference s between field isolates were revealed in comparison to the Convac and Onderstepoort vaccine strains. The diversity of CDV appeared to excee d that determined for measles virus. Phylogenetic analysis also separa ted the field isolates of CDV from the vaccine strains and provided ev idence for the existence of different contemporary genotypes of CDV. I solates from a Greenlandic sledge dog and a Siberian seal formed a dis tinct lineage. The remaining isolates formed a group. This group conta ined two European isolates from mink and ferret, a single lineage comp rising three European dog isolates, and another separate lineage of No rth American isolates from dog, javelina, raccoon and captive leopards .