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 J Vet Sci. 2009 Jun;10(3):219-223
DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2009.10.3.219
  
 

Detection and molecular characterization of infectious bronchitis virus isolated from recent outbreaks in broiler flocks in Thailand

Tawatchai Pohuang, Niwat Chansiripornchai*, Achara Tawatsin, Jiroj Sasipreeyajan

 

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
* cniwat@chula.ac.th

 

Thirteen field isolates of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were isolated from broiler flocks in Thailand between January and June 2008. The 878-bp of the S1 gene covering a hypervariable region was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on that region revealed that these viruses were separated into two groups (I and II). IBV isolates in group I were not related to other IBV strains published in the GenBank database. Group 1 nucleotide sequence identities were less than 85% and amino acid sequence identities less than 84% in common with IBVs published in the GenBank database. This group likely represents the strains indigenous to Thailand. The isolates in group II showed a close relationship with Chinese IBVs. They had nucleotide sequence identities of 97-98% and amino acid sequence identities 96-98% in common with Chinese IBVs (strain A2, SH and QXIBV). This finding indicated that the recent Thai IBVs evolved separately and at least two groups of viruses are circulating in Thailand.