Genetic Characterization Of Avian Influenza Virus (H9N2) Hemagglutinin Genes In Broiler Chickens Of Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Genetic Characterization Of Avian Influenza Virus (H9N2) Hemagglutinin Genes In Broiler Chickens Of Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Mohamed. E. Taha1, Mohamed S. Ahmed2, Ahmed I. Ahmed2, Amany Adel3, Salama Rehab4,5*, Nabila Osman2**
ABSTRACT
Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9 is a genuine threat to the poultry industry and human. However, it causes mild to moderate respiratory signs. The infection may be more serious when complicated with other respiratory pathogens. In the current study AIV H9 was identified among broiler chickens in Luxor governorate in 2016. Five hundred (n= 500) samples were collected from fifty farms (5 tracheal and 5 cloacal pools from each farm) have been examined by real time RT-PCR for the prevalence of AIV H9. The results revealed that ten farms (20%) were positive for AIV (H9N2). Three isolates with high CT values have been selected for complete sequencing of hemagglutinin gene. Amino acid sequences showed that these isolates were identical to the Asian strain “A Quail-HongKong-G1-97” (91-92%), as well as the other Egyptian strains “A/chicken/Egypt/ME543V/2016” (99-100%), and “A/quail/Egypt/113413v/2011” (98-99%). Also, six of the N-glycosylation sites were identical to the Hong Kong isolate “HK/G1/97”, while the other two glycosylation sites at amino acid residues “188–191” and “200–203” were mutated. The phylogenetic analysis clearly highlights the aggregation of the sequenced AIV H9 isolates with the Egyptian H9N2 viruses G1 lineage in the group B and the Israeli strains. Although the strains are low pathogenic, the presence of mammalian binding amino acid markers indicated their public health concern. Overall conclusion indicated that AIV (H9N2) still circulates among poultry farms in the Southern Egypt. Furthermore, isolated strains were closely related to strains of Israel, Middle East and Asia.
Keywords | Avian Influenza, H9N2, Broiler chickens, Real Time RT-PCR, Sequencing.
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