A phylogenomic analysis of Marek's disease virus reveals independent paths to virulence in Eurasia and North America.

ABSTRACT: Virulence determines the impact a pathogen has on the fitness of its host, yet current understanding of the evolutionary origins and causes of virulence of many pathogens is surprisingly incomplete. Here, we explore the evolution of Marek's disease virus (MDV), a herpesvirus commonly afflicting chickens and rarely other avian species. The history of MDV in the 20th century represents an important case study in the evolution of virulence. The severity of MDV infection in chickens has been rising steadily since the adoption of intensive farming techniques and vaccination programs in the 1950s and 1970s, respectively. It has remained uncertain, however, which of these factors is causally more responsible for the observed increase in virulence of circulating viruses. We conducted a phylogenomi

SUBMITTER: Trimpert J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5680632 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature