Identification and pathotypical analysis of a novel VIk sub-genotype Newcastle disease virus obtained from pigeon in China

Xue, Cong; Xu, Xiaohong; Yin, Renfu; Qian, Jing; Sun, Yixue; Wang, Chunfeng; Ding, Chan; Yu, Shengqing; Hu, Shunlin; Liu, Xiufan; Cong, Yanlong; Ding, Zhuang

Identification and pathotypical analysis of a novel VIk sub-genotype Newcastle disease virus obtained from pigeon in China

2017

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can lead to a devastating disease to various avian species including pigeons. Genotype VI NDV is a major cause of Newcastle disease (ND) in Columbiformes (i.e. pigeons and doves). Here, we analyzed the genetic diversity of genotype VI based on the complete F gene sequences of 2 pigeon-origin isolates in northeastern China in 2015, along with 238 genotype VI strains available in GenBank. The phylogenetic tree and evolutionary distances revealed that the 2 new isolates were clustered into a new sub-genotype herein proposed as VIk. Although the 2 isolates contain the 113RQKRF117 cleavage site, a feature generally associated with virulent NDV strains, the values of ICPI and MDT showed lentogenic characteristics. The challenge experiment demonstrated that the isolate Pigeon/China/Jilin/NG05/2015 was pathogenic to pigeons, causing lesions in multiple tissues and organs. The emergence and spread of the sub-genotype VIk viruses illustrated that the genotype VI NDV was undergoing evolutionary changes. It is necessary to pay close attention and carry out epidemiological surveillance in pigeons.

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