Avian Metapneumovirus and Infectious Bronchitis virus: molecular epidemiology and effect of control strategies on viral population

Short description:

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) represent two of the most relevant infectious diseases of poultry, causing severe economic losses mainly associated to respiratory syndromes, decreased productive performances and increased mortality. Even if good management practices are fundamental in diseases containment, widespread vaccination is also essential to control both diseases. IBV displays a high evolutionary rate and frequent recombination events have been demonstrated leading the emerge of several new variants. Furthermore, even aMPV appeared to have evolved in the recent years. The knowledge of the epidemiological situation is essential to put in place strategies to control both diseases. The present project aims to investigate:

- the epidemiology of aMPV and IBV in different Countries.  A long term collaboration with poultry companies had allowed and will allow to obtain samples to be tested, sequenced and analysed in order to evaluate diffusion and temporal evolution of both viruses;

- the effect of different vaccination strategies on IBV and aMPV epidemiology;

- the evolution and dynamics of the most prevalent European IBV genotype (QX genotype) in different “vaccine environmental”;

- the epidemiological patterns and population history of the IBV Variant O2, an emerging genotype in Europe, by implementing a phylodynamic approach using sequence data already available on public database and samples obtained from different Countries around the world.

Five publications related to the Research Topic for the interview:

  1. de Wit JJ, Cazaban C, Dijkman R, Ramon G, Gardin Y., 2018. Detection of different genotypes of infectious bronchitis virus and of infectious bursal disease virus in European broilers during an epidemiological study in 2013 and the consequences for the diagnostic approach. Avian Pathol., 47(2):140-151. doi: 10.1080/03079457.2017.1387231.
  2. Bru T, Vila R, Cabana M, Geerligs HJ. 2017. Protection of chickens vaccinated with combinations of commercial live infectious bronchitis vaccines containing Massachusetts, Dutch and QX-like serotypes against challenge with virulent infectious bronchitis viruses 793B and IS/1494/06 Israel variant 2. Avian Pathol., 46(1):52-58. doi: 10.1080/03079457.2016.1203393.
  3. Valastro V, Holmes EC, Britton P, Fusaro A, Jackwood MW, Cattoli G, Monne I., 2016. S1 gene-based phylogeny of infectious bronchitis virus: An attempt to harmonize virus classification. Infect Genet Evol., 39:349-364. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.02.015.
  4. Lemaitre E, Allée C, Vabret A, Eterradossi N, Brown PA., 2018. Single reaction, real time RT-PCR detection of all known avian and human metapneumoviruses. J Virol Methods, 251:61-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2017.10.010.
  5. Cavanagh D., Mawditt K., Britton P., Naylor C.J., 1999.  Longitudinal field studies of infectious bronchitis virus and avian pneumovirus in broilers using type-specific polymerase chain reactions. Avian Pathology, 28:6, 593-605. To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03079459994399.