Phylogenetic analysis of the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) from Croatian and Bosnian and Herzegovinian farms

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) was first detected in Croatia in 2007, after its appearance in Bosnia and Herzegovina which had not been reported officially. To determine the genetic relatedness of IPNV, a detailed research of national isolates together with isolates from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina was performed. Organ pools from nine Croatian and six Bosnian farms were analysed by virus isolation, ELISA and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Phylogenetic analysis of the genogroup III IPNV sequences sorted Croatian and Bosnian isolates on a separate clade, together with the Galician isolate 1146. All Croatian, Bosnian and the Galician isolate 1146 shared unique amino acid exchange on position 513 (Aspartatic acid D -> Glutamic acid E). Additionally, all Bosnian, three Croatian (Cro/VA, Cro 18/11 and Cro 3/11) and Galician isolate 1146 shared one unique silent transition on codon 482. Phylogenetically, these isolates form a subclade as a consequence of this substitution. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis performed in this study helped us to determine the genetic relatedness of viruses and could be the starting point for determining the viral source and dissemination.