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PCV2 is the primary etiological agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVADs) which affect pigs worldwide. Currently, there is a worldwide genotype prevalence switch from PCV2b to PCV2d, which has led to increased virulence of the circulating virus strains leading to vaccine failures and selection pressure. In the present study, the PCV2 genotypes circulating in north eastern region (NER) of India particularly the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was characterized by isolation, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of cap gene. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PCV2 isolates circulating in pigs of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were mostly of PCV2d genotype. Hence, it can be concluded that PCV2d genotype is the most dominating genotype in NER and priority should be given to this genotype for development of future vaccine candidate against PCV2 in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain F is a lentogenic vaccine strain used for primary vaccination in day-old chickens against Newcastle disease (ND) in India and Southeast Asian countries. Recombinant NDV-F virus and another recombinant NDV harboring the major capsid protein VP2 gene of a very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV); namely rNDV-F and rNDV-F/VP2, respectively, were generated using the NDV F strain. The rNDV-F/VP2 virus was slightly attenuated, as compared to the rNDV-F virus, as evidenced from the mean death time and intracerebral pathogenicity index analysis. This result indicates that rNDV-F/VP2 behaves as a lentogenic virus and it is stable even after 10 serial passages in embryonated chicken eggs. When chickens were vaccinated with the rNDV F/VP2, it induced both humoral and cell mediated immunity, and was able to confer complete protection against very virulent IBDV challenge and 80% protection against virulent NDV challenge. These results suggest that rNDV-F could be an effective and inherently safe vaccine vector. Here, we demonstrate that a bivalent NDV-IBDV vaccine candidate generated by reverse genetics method is safe, efficacious and cost-effective, which will greatly aid the poultry industry in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]