Abstract
Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a lethal viral disease of carnivores which is considered to be a serious threat to domestic and wild species. Despite the widespread use of vaccines, CDV still occurs in vaccinated animals and current vaccines does not guarantee complete protection. In this study, a total of 286 hemagglutinin (H) gene sequences of the virus isolated in 25 countries during 90 years (1930-2020) were analyzed by Bayesian maximum likelihood analysis to estimate the population dynamics. We identified the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of the virus in 1868 in the USA which arrived in continental Europe in 1948, and from there, the virus spread rapidly to other continents. The Canidae family was identified as the original host as well as a source of the subsequent spread. We identified 11 lineages of geographic co-circulating strains globally. The effective population size experienced a two-phase-exponential growth between 2000-2005 and 2010-2012. Our findings provide a novel insight into the epidemic history of canine distemper virus which may facilitate more effective disease management. This study uses a large set of sequencing data on the H gene of CDV to identify distinct lineages of the virus, track its geographic spread over time, analyze its likelihood of transmission within and between animal families, and provide suggestions for improved strategies to combat the virus. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10344-023-01685-z.