Phylogeny, pathogenicity and transmissibility of a genotype XII Newcastle disease virus in chicken and goose

Abstract

Although Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has a worldwide distribution, some NDV genotypes have more regional geographical ranges within continents. In this study, we isolated a subgenotype XIIb NDV strain, Goose/CH/GD/E115/2017 (E115), from geese in Guangdong province, Southern China, in 2017. Phylogenetic analysis showed that E115 and six other NDVs from geese in China were grouped under subgenotype XIIb and were distinct from subgenotype XIIa, isolated from chickens in South Africa, and subgenotype XIId, isolated from chickens in Vietnam. To better understand the pathogenicity and transmission of the subgenotype XIIb NDVs from geese in Guangdong province, we inoculated chickens and geese with 106 EID50 of the E115 virus. Eight hours after inoculation, three naïve chickens and three naïve geese were co‐housed with the infected chickens or geese to assess intraspecific and interspecific horizontal transmission of the E115 virus. The E115 virus induced significant clinical signs without mortality in chickens, while it was not pathogenic to geese. Intraspecific and interspecific horizontal transmission of the E115 virus was observed among chickens and geese via direct contact. Furthermore, although the current vaccines provided complete protection against disease in chickens after challenging them with the E115 virus, the virus could also be transmitted from vaccinated chickens to naïve contact chickens. Collectively, our findings highlight the need for avoiding the mixing of different bird species to reduce cross‐species transmission and for surveillance of NDV in waterfowl.

Phylodynamic analyses of class I Newcastle disease virus isolated in China

“…Almost all virulent NDV strains belong to class II, contributing to most of the ND outbreaks reported to date (Dimitrov, Ramey, Qiu, Bahl, & Afonso, 2016; Snoeck et al., 2013). Since the third ND pandemic in the 1970s, eight class II genotypes have been isolated in China, including I, II, III, VI, VII, VIII, IX and XII, of which VII gradually became the predominant genotype during 2000–2015 (Kang et al., 2016; Liu et al., 2008; Xiang et al., 2020; Zhang, Shao, Yu, Zhao, & Zhang, 2014). In contrast, all class I NDVs isolated to date have been found to be avirulent with the exception of strains 9a5b and JS10‐A10 (Kim et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2009; Meng et al., 2016; Shengqing et al., 2002).…”

Insights into Genomic Epidemiology, Evolution, and Transmission Dynamics of Genotype VII of Class II Newcastle Disease Virus in China

“…Since the isolation of the first genotype VII NDV strain in China in 1995, this genotype has gradually become the predominant NDV genotype in China [ 10 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Meanwhile, some virulent NDV in genotype III, VIII, IX, and XII were also sporadically identified in China [ 12 , 13 , 17 ]. The genotype VI virulent viruses mainly circulated in pigeons [ 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

“…The genotype VI virulent viruses mainly circulated in pigeons [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. The genotype XII NDVs, which caused ND outbreaks in Peru and Vietnam, were emerged in waterfowls in Guangdong province in 2010 [ 12 ]. In our study, we found that a total of 65.1% (420/645) class II NDVs in China in GenBank with the addition of those viruses in current study, were classified into genotype VII.…”

“…Specimens were propagated in 10-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken embryos. The presence of NDVs was confirmed by hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition assays, and by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as described previously [ 12 ]. The primer sequences for amplification of F gene were F1 (5′- CAGGTDGCYAAGATACTCTGGAG -3′) and F2 (5′-GGCTCCTCTKACCGTTCTAC-3′).…”

“…In China, the genotype VII NDVs were dominant circulating genotype, contributing to most ND outbreaks in poultry, while VIII, IX, and XII virulent NDVs were also occasionally reported [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Of note, the genotype VI virulent NDVs, referred to pigeon paramyxovirus type 1, also identified in China, inducing disease in pigeons, but show nonvirulence to chicken [ 15 , 16 ].…”