MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF AVIAN POX VIRUS ISOLATED FROM PET BIRDS AND COMMERCIAL FLOCKS, IN IRAN

Abstract

Avian pox (AP) is a viral disease with a wide host range. The aim of the study was molecular identification and characterization of field isolated pox virus from pet birds and commercial flocks in Iran, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Scab materials of skin and mucosal lesions were collected from five clinically affected cases. PCR was used to amplify a 578 bp fragment of the poxvirus 4b core protein. In order to determine the genetic relationships among the viruses, this conserved poxvirus genetic region was sequenced and analyzed. The Iranian Avipoxvirus isolates in this study grouped in clade A1 (commercial chicken and turkey flocks) and B1 (canary). Further studies on a larger scale need to be developed to have a better understanding of the molecular characterization of the Iranian APV strains. Key words: avian pox; phylogenetic analysis; molecular characterization; Iran MOLEKULARNA KARAKTERIZACIJA IN FILOGENETSKA ANALIZA AVIARNEGA VIRUSA POX, IZOLIRANEGA PRI PETIH VRSTAH PTIC V KOMERICIALNIH JATAH V IRANU Povzetek: Osepnice ptic (AP, iz angl. avian pox) so virusna bolezen, ki lahko okužijo veliko različnih vrst ptic. Cilj predstavljene raziskave je bila molekularna identifikacija in karakterizacija izoliranih virusov pox, pridobljenih iz krast ljubiteljskih ptic in farmskih ptic v Iranu, s pomočjo metode PCR. Vzorci krast s področja sprememb na koži in sluznicah je bil zbran pri petih pacientih s kliničnimi znaki bolezni. S pomočjo metode PCR je bil pomnožen 578 baznih parov dolg odsek gena poxvirusa 4b. To ohranjeno območje poxvirusa je pomembno za določitev genskih razmerij med virusi, zato je bilo doloćeno zaporedje DNK za nadaljne analize. Iranska izolata Avipoxvirusa objavljena v tej študiji sta bila razvrščena v razred A1 (komercialne piščančje in puranje jate) in B1 (kanarčki). Za boljše razumevanje molekularne karakterizacije iranskih sevov virusa AP bo potrebno opraviti nadaljnje študije. Ključne besede: osepnice ptic; filogenetska analiza; molekularna karakterizacija; Iran