PCR-BASED DETECTION AND PHYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF CHICKEN INFECTIOUS ANEMIA VIRUS (CIAV) IN PHILIPPINE NATIVE CHICKENS (Gallus gallus domesticus) FROM SELECTED LIVE BIRD MARKETS IN BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) is an economically important immunosuppressive pathogen of poultry. At present, very minimal information is available regarding CIAV in the Philippines. In this study, a total of forty-nine Philippine native chickens from selected live bird markets from the municipalities of Rosario, Padre Garcia, and Lemery in Batangas were randomly collected and analyzed for the presence of CIAVs. All birds showed varying signs of non-specific disease ranging from respiratory signs, traumatic wounds and integumentary disorders. Five out of ten pooled tissue samples (10.20-51.02%) from the native chickens were confirmed to be positive for CIAV using polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analyses showed that the field CIAV strains were genetically diverse and belong to genotypes A2, D1, and D2. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the VP1 gene showed that the Philippine CIAV strains had sequence similarity of 98-99% to field strains from South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Data obtained in this study are useful references in the development of molecular diagnostic tools and vaccine design to prevent CIAV in Philippine native chickens.