A novel high-sensitivity TaqMan qPCR assay reveals amdoparvovirus DNA in zoo-housed small mammals in southern China.

This study describes a TaqMan qPCR assay targeting the VP2 gene for the sensitive detection and quantification of amdoparvovirus DNA in various small mammals. The assay demonstrated high specificity, a low detection limit (3.60 × 101 copies/µL), and excellent repeatability (CV < 1.57%), proving 100-fold more sensitive than conventional PCR. Applying this method to 148 fecal and tissue samples from small mammals across four zoos in Guangdong, China, revealed an overall amdoparvovirus DNA detection rate of 25.0% (95%CI: 18.6% to 32.6%), significantly higher than the 18.92% detected by conventional PCR. High viral loads were notably found in spleen, lung, and mesenteric lymph nodes of individual animals, indicating systemic distribution of viral DNA in these cases. This research provides the first molecular evidence of amdoparvovirus circulation within the sampled zoo populations in Chinese, suggesting potential exposure among captive small mammals in these facilities. However, due to the opportunistic sampling design and heterogeneous sample types, further systematic surveillance is needed to assess the true prevalence and associated risks.