Identification and Molecular Characterization of Newcastle Disease Virus Circulates in some districts in Aceh

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the diversity of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) isolates; to detect and isolate NDV from poultry; and to identify and characterize NDV by serological and molecular assays. A total of 84 cloacal-oropharynx isolates of poultry was collected from privately owned poultries and poultry markets from 12 districts in Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh. Screening was performed by real time reverse transcriptation-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to 15 isolates of poultry. Selected isolates were inoculated in 9-11 days old embryonated specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs and showed positive hemagglutination (HA). Characterization was performed through hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using Komarov and Hitchner B1 antisera, elution test, RT-PCR and realtime RT-PCR fusion (F). All isolates had a higher affinity to Komarov antisera (titer up to 4 log), indicating virulent strain. This was supported by elution test which showed that 93.66% isolates were virulent and 6 % non-virulent. In conclusion, RT-PCR can detect Matrix gene from 15 isolates (100%), while Fusion gene only detected from 11 isolates (73.3%). rRT-PCR is more capable of detecting antigenic diversity compared to RT-PCR.