A virtual biobank for companion animals: A parvovirus pilot study.

BACKGROUND There is a lack of national population data concerning infectious disease in companion animals. Here, we piloted the feasibility of linking diagnostic laboratories, population surveillance and modern sequencing approaches to extract targeted diagnostic samples from laboratories before they were discarded, as a novel route to better understand national epidemiology of major small animal pathogens. METHODS Samples tested for canine or feline parvovirus were requested from a national veterinary diagnostic laboratory and analysed by Sanger or next generation sequencing. Samples were linked to electronic health data held in the SAVSNET database. RESULTS Sequences obtained from positive samples, together with associated metadata, provided new insights into the recent geographical distribution of parvovirus strains in circulation in the United Kingdom (UK). CONCLUSIONS This collaboration with industry represents a 'National Virtual Biobank' that can rapidly be called on, to efficiently add new layers of epidemiological information of relevance to animal, and potentially human, population health.