Molecular Diagnosis of Natural Pox Virus Infection in Pigeons in Babylon Province, Central Iraq
Molecular Diagnosis of Natural Pox Virus Infection in Pigeons in Babylon Province, Central Iraq
Khitam Hassan Salih Alaarajy*, Hayder Abd AL-Emier Almremdhy
ABSTRACT
Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) are susceptible to various diseases, many of which can cause significant economic losses for pigeon owners. One of the most important of these diseases is pigeon pox (PP). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the tentative and molecular diagnosis of Pigeon Pox Virus (PPV) in infected pigeons in Babylon Province, located in central Iraq. A total of 90 local-breed pigeons of varying ages and sexes were collected from different areas within Babylon Province. These pigeons were suspected of being infected with the cutaneous form of pigeon pox, as they exhibited nodular lesions on the head (around the eyes and beak), legs, and around the cloacal orifice. Skin samples were collected from various infected regions for histopathological examination and molecular analysis. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used for molecular detection of PPV and its genetic sequencing. DNA extraction targeted the core protein gene region (p4b). Histopathological analysis revealed epidermal acanthosis with papular lesions, basal vacuolation, and the presence of eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epidermal keratinocytes. PCR results confirmed the presence of PPV in all samples, producing specific cDNA bands of 582 bp. Five of these samples were submitted to GenBank and assigned accession numbers: PP537782, PP537783, PP537784, PP537785, and PP537786. In conclusion, the PPV strain detected in infected pigeons from Babylon Province appears to be a globally widespread strain. The findings underscore the importance of genetic analysis in understanding the evolutionary dynamics of avian poxviruses.
Keywords | Pigeon pox, Virus, Pathological, Babylon, Molecular detection
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June 2025
Vol. 13, Iss. 2
