Emergence of a virulent genotype VIIi of Newcastle disease virus in Iran

Newcastle disease (ND) is a contagious viral disease affecting numerous avian species, particularly domestic poultry, and causes devastating outbreaks. In spite of its endemicity and importance in Iran, data on the genetic characterization of ND virus (NDV) are scarce. An alarming issue that has just been raised is the occurrence of ND outbreaks with unexpected high mortality and severe clinical signs. The present study was conducted to characterize the emerging NDV genetically. An NDV strain, isolated in 2017 from commercial broilers showing severe nervous and enteric signs, was completely sequenced and found to be 15,192 nucleotides in length. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the virus belonged to subgenotype VIIi, a subgenotype with potential panzootic features which has recently emerged in the Middle East and Asia. The supporting genetic pattern obtained from the complete genome, fusion and haemagglutinin gene analysis showed close relationship of the isolate with Pakistani VIIi NDVs. The analysis of the F protein showed a polybasic amino acid motif and a phenylalanine at position 117 at the cleavage site, which is a characteristic of virulent strains. The isolate showed significant differences from the previously characterized NDV strains from commercial and rural chickens in Iran. This may describe the importance of the illegal trade of pet birds from neighbouring countries leading to the emergence of new genotypes. This study introduces a newly emerging NDV VIIi subgenotype in Iran. This investigation emphasizes the necessity of effective control strategies.