Newcastle disease virus in poultry: Current and emerging perspectives

Abstract

Since its appearance in 1926, Newcastle disease (MN) has caused significant economic losses, whether at the farm level (mortality, stunted growth, egg drop, etc.), or by the fact that it constitutes an obstacle to international trade (ban on the export of poultry and poultry products). The disease is a real scourge for global poultry farming. It is endemic in several countries of the world where agriculture is the main source of national income. It is a viral infection caused by a type 1 avian Paramyxovirus commonly known as Newcastle disease virus (NDV). In recent years, NDV has lured the virologists not only because of its pathogenic potential, but also for its oncolytic activity and its use as a vaccine vector for both humans and animals. The NDV based recombinant vaccine offers a pertinent choice for the construction of live attenuated vaccine due to its modular nature of transcription, minimum recombination frequency, and lack of DNA phase during replication. Vaccination will change the epidemiology of ND to some extent because it protects against disease but not against infection, it is the only effective way to control ND, since there is no treatment.

Keywords: Newcastle disease (ND), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), replication, pathogenicity, vaccination