Detection and phylogenetic characterization of Columbid circoviruses in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran.

The virus genus Circovirus belongs to the family Circoviridae and contains virus species with circular single-stranded DNA genomes. The viruses are known to infect vertebrate species, including pigs, dogs, pigeons and ducks. In this study a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to investigate prevalence of circoviruses in pigeons in the Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran. A total of 50 faecal samples were subjected to nucleic acid extraction, PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Nested PCR primers were designed to amplify a 508 base pair segment of the pigeon circovirus (PiCV) capsid gene. Of the 50 faecal samples examined, 12 (24%) produced the expected DNA amplicons with identical DNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis has grouped the viruses with those classified as group A circoviruses. The viruses were closely related to PiCVs found in Poland, Northern Ireland, the USA, Nigeria and Hungary. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of molecular detection and genomic characterization of PiCV from Iran.