title: Characterization of newcastle disease viruses in wild and domestic birds in Luxembourg from 2006 to 2008.
abstract: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is one of the most important viral diseases of birds. Wild birds constitute a natural reservoir of low-virulence viruses, while poultry are the main reservoir of virulent strains. Exchange of virus between these reservoirs represents a risk for both bird populations. Samples from wild and domestic birds collected between 2006 and 2010 in Luxembourg were analyzed for NDV. Three similar avirulent genotype I strains were found in ducks during consecutive years, suggesting that the virus may have survived and spread locally. However, separate introductions cannot be excluded, because no recent complete F gene sequences of genotype I from other European countries are available. Detection of vaccine-like strains in wild waterbirds suggested the spread of vaccine strains, despite the nonvaccination policy in Luxembourg. Among domestic birds, only one chicken was positive for a genotype II strain differing from the LaSota vaccine and exhibiting a so-far-unrecognized fusion protein cleavage site of predicted low virulence. Three genotype VI strains from pigeons were the only virulent strains found. The circulation of NDV in wild and free-ranging domestic birds warrants continuous surveillance because of increased concern that low-virulence wild-bird viruses could become more virulent in domestic populations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Centre de Recherche Public-Santé/Laboratoire National de Santé, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Chantal J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Snoeck
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marinelli
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sausy
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Conzemius
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Losch
authors.forename: Claude P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D001717:Birds; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008189:Luxembourg; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009521:Newcastle Disease / Q000821:virology*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral