Detection and Molecular Characterization of Avian Metapneumovirus in Iran: The First Report

Avian pneumovirus (APV) causes turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) and swollen head syndrome (SHS) of chickens, which is usually accompanied by secondary bacterial infections that increase mortality. In Iran, some serological studies indicated that APV infection is endemic in commercial poultry industry. In this study we diagnosed APV genome molecularly in suspected broiler flock (4 weeks) in Iran and characterized APV genome based on G glycoprotein...