Molecular Insights into the Genetic Variability of ORF Virus in a Mediterranean Region (Sardinia, Italy).

ABSTRACT: Orf virus (ORFV) represents the causative agent of contagious ecthyma, clinically characterized by mild papular and pustular to severe proliferative lesions, mainly occurring in sheep and goats. In order to provide hints on the evolutionary history of this virus, we carried out a study aimed to assess the genetic variation of ORFV in Sardinia that hosts a large affected small ruminant population. We also found a high worldwide mutational viral evolutionary rate, which resulted, in turn, higher than the rate we detected for the strains isolated in Sardinia. In addition, a well-supported genetic divergence was found between the viral strains isolated from sheep and those from goats, but no relevant connection was evidenced between the severity of lesions produced by ORFV and specific polymor

SUBMITTER: Coradduzza E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8147818 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature