Vet. Res. 35 (2004) 609-615
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2004036

Genetic diversity of international bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) isolates: identification of a new BVDV-1 genetic group

Stefan Vilcek^a, Branislav Durkovic^a, Mariana Kolesárová^b, Irene Greiser-Wilke^c and David Paton<sup>d

a</sup>  University of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology and Infectious Diseases, Komenskeho 73, SK-04181, Kosice, Slovakia
^b  University of P.J. Safarik, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Kosice, Slovakia
^c  Institute of Virology, Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, Germany
^d  Exotic Diseases Department, Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Pirbright, United Kingdom

(Received 7 November 2003; accepted 4 March 2004)

Abstract - In the last decade, several studies were performed to characterise bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) isolates and define genetic groups by genotyping. Much data is now available from GenBank, predominantly sequences from the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR). In order to find out whether genetic grouping of isolates from different countries could be harmonised, 22 new isolates from five countries were analysed in combination with published sequences. Eighteen of these isolates were typed as BVDV genotype 1 (BVDV-1), and one isolate from Argentina and three isolates from Brazil were typed as BVDV-2. BVDV-1 isolates were clustered into five previously defined genetic groups: BVDV-1a, b, d, e and f. Two isolates from Finland and one from Egypt formed a group which was tentatively labelled as BVDV-1j, since statistical support was low. By using a fragment of the N^pro gene for typing, we found that these isolates fall into the same group as a deer strain, and are statistically significant. Some Swiss BVDV strains taken from GenBank were found in a new genetic group which was designated as BVDV-1k. The BVDV-2 isolates included in this study seemed to fall into two genetic groups.

Key words: bovine viral diarrhoea virus / pestivirus / genetic typing / new genetic group

Corresponding author: Stefan Vilcek vilcek@uvm.sk

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2004