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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #282085
Title: Complete genome sequencing of a novel Newcastle disease virus isolate circulating in layer chickens in the Dominican Republic

Author
item Courtney, Sean
item GOMEZ, DEJELIA - Ministry Of Agriculture
item Susta, Leonardo
item HINES, NICHOLE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item PEDERSEN, JANICE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Miller, Patti
item Afonso, Claudio

Submitted to: Journal of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2012
Publication Date: 9/1/2012
Citation: Courtney, S.C., Gomez, D., Susta, L., Hines, N., Pedersen, J.C., Miller, P.J., Afonso, C.L. 2012. Complete genome sequencing of a novel Newcastle disease virus isolate circulating in layer chickens in the Dominican Republic. Journal of Virology. 86(17):9550.

Interpretive Summary: Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) was isolated from an outbreak in chicken layers in the Dominican Republic in 2008. Infections with this isolate led to a 100% fatality rate in birds. Complete genome sequencing revealed that the isolate does not belong to any of the previously described NDV genotypes. Similarly, large differences were observed in the amino acid sequence of the fusion and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase proteins, suggesting the existence of an unknown reservoir for NDV. The work presented here represents the first complete genome sequence of NDV in the Dominican Republic.

Technical Abstract: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes a serious disease in avian species and is especially important due to the economic damages it causes to the international poultry industry. The virus continues to evolve worldwide and it is important for U.S. veterinarians to be able to recognize and characterize the threat presented by highly virulent viruses present in countries with commercial or geographic links to the U.S. Here we present the presence of a highly virulent NDV strain isolated in the Dominican Republic that possessed a 100% fatality rate in chickens. This strange did not resemble any of the previously identified strains of NDV and possibly represents a new genotype. This new strain was dramatically different from the LaSota vaccine strain and could therefore lead to problems with commercial vaccination programs in the Dominican Republic.