Detection and Characterization of Swinepox Virus from Pig Population of Assam, a North Eastern State of India

Two outbreaks of Swinepox in pig population of north-east India were investigated. The disease was diagnosed based on clinical signs, lesions, electron microscopy and by molecular techniques. The virus was identified by PCR amplification targeting the viral late transcription factor-3 (VLTF-3) gene of swinepox virus. The VLTF-3 gene was cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on VLTF-3 gene sequence showed that the Swinepox viruses identified in these outbreaks were clustered along with the other Swinepox isolates reported across the globe and were distinctly separated from the other members of the poxviridae family. The north-eastern states of India, being a hub for pig husbandry, are the home for over a quarter of all India’s pig population. Till now swinepox was not reported from this part of India. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report on detection and characterization of swinepox from the north-eastern part of India.