Molecular Evidence and Sequence Analysis of Goatpox Virus Isolates from Assam, India: An Emerging Viral Disease of Goats

This study describes the first confirmed identification and phylogenetic analysis of goatpox virus (GTPV) isolates from outbreaks occurred in 2016 in Assam, a North-Eastern state of India. A total of four different outbreaks involving non-descriptive local breeds (n = 135) in which skin scabs and serum samples from affected goats were investigated, and the etiology was confirmed as goatpox virus by standard virological/serological, molecular and gene sequence analysis techniques. P32 sequence analysis of four isolates representing four outbreak regions revealed that they are closely related among each other. They have shown about 99.5–100% and 99.1–99.7% at nt and aa levels to Indian GTPV isolates with maximum identity to GTPV Akola/2008/India. Among GTPV isolates from worldwide, GTPV/GS-V1/China has shown maximum identity of 99.8 and 99.7% at nt and aa levels with Assam isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Assam GTPV isolates closely clustered with other Indian isolates as reported earlier. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this report seems to be the first confirmed identification of goatpox virus and its genetic characterization in Assam state of North-Eastern parts of India. It provides a potential insight into evolutionary relationship of circulating GTPV strains in Assam with other parts of India and adjoining international regions/borders. It necessitates the systematic investigation of goatpox in North-Eastern Regional states of India to monitor the disease in susceptible populations by use of rapid diagnostics and control them by using an effective vaccine.