Molecular characterisation of a Marek's disease virus strain detected in tumour-bearing turkeys.

This study reports the molecular characterisation of a GaHV-2 strain detected in a flock of Italian meat-type turkeys exhibiting visceral lymphomas. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the meq gene revealed that the turkey GaHV-2 has molecular features of high virulence and genetic similarity with GaHV-2 strains recently detected in Italian commercial and backyard chickens. GaHV-2 is ubiquitous among chickens despite the vaccination, and chicken-to-turkey transmission is hypothesised due to the presence of broilers in neighbouring pens.Research highlights A GaHV-2 strain from Italian turkeys was molecularly characterised;The turkey strain presented molecular characteristics of high virulence in its meq gene;The turkey strain was closely related to previously detected chicken strains. PMID: 31702386 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Avian Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Avian Pathol Source Type: research