Characterization of Iranian canarypox and pigeonpox virus strains

Avipoxviruses (APVs) are large DNA viruses that are detected widely in many species of birds. Little information is available regarding genetic variations in these host-specific viruses. In the present study, nine canarypox virus and five pigeonpox virus isolates were collected from northeastern Iran and isolated via the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos. Further investigations were conducted using analysis of virus growth in chicken embryo fibroblasts, histopathology, electron microscopy, and molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to investigate variations in the highly conserved P4b gene of poxviruses. Virus replication and pock lesions were evident, and microscopic examination revealed eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies and biconcave enveloped virus particles with randomly arranged surface filaments, which are characteristic features of poxviruses. PCR results confirmed the presence of an APV-specific 578-bp fragment in all of the samples. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis of 578-bp P4b fragments of eight isolates confirmed that our canary and pigeon isolates clustered with previously reported isolates. The similarity between the nucleotide sequences of most of our isolates and those isolated previously in other countries could be due to the high degree of conservation of these fragments. However, the FZRC6V isolate from a canary in this study did not have a canarypox virus origin according to the sequence analysis, and might have originated from cross-infection with different strains of avipoxviruses.