First complete genome characterisation of an Indian pigeon pox virus directly from a clinical sample

Avian pox disease is a highly contagious infection caused by the pox virus and has serious consequences for avian species concerning economic and conservation aspects. This viral genus, named Avipoxvirus (APV), infects nearly 300 bird species, and the lack of enough complete genome information hinders inferring this virus's biology. Thus, this study revealed the first complete genome of an Indian pigeonpox virus that belongs to the genus APV, followed by comparative genomics analysis. The entire genome of the present isolate (PPV/Pur-Od-4b/01/Ind) has 280058 bp nucleotide sequences with a GC content of 29.51 %. The unique feature of this complete genome revealed the presence of 270 open reading frames (ORFs) circumscribed by inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) of 4689 bp at each end and the absence of recombination events. The concatenated amino acid phylogenetic tree deciphered the present isolate closely related to the feral pigeonpox virus derived from South Africa. The molecular markers, such as microsatellites, were ubiquitously distributed throughout the genome and were prevalent within the functional genes.