Goat pox virus isolated from an outbreak at Akola, Maharashtra (India) phylogenetically related to Chinese strain.

In this study, we investigated a goat pox outbreak that occurred in an organized goat farm in a village named Yerenda near Akola, Maharashtra, India during 2007-2008. The outbreak involved in 175 goats including kids of local nondescript breeds with a morbidity, mortality, and case fatality rate, respectively, of 20%, 11.4%, and 60%. The goat pox virus (GTPV) antigen/nucleic acid in the clinical samples was detected by CIE and PCRs whereas virus-specific antibody was detected by using SNT and indirect ELISA. From classical clinical signs coupled with epidemiological details and various diagnostic assays, the causative agent of the outbreaks, GTPV was identified, successfully isolated in Vero cells and characterized. Further, sequence analysis of P32 envelope protein gene revealed that this isolate phylogenetically related closely to Chinese strain.