Thirty-five samples collected from chickens in 13 commercial farms in Eritrea between 2017 and 2021 following reports of disease were screened for Newcastle disease virus. Seventeen samples (50%) were shown to be positive by RT-PCR. An initial analysis of partial fusion (F) gene sequences of 10 representative samples indicated that the viruses belonged to subgenotype VII.1.1. Subsequently, full F gene sequence analysis of four of these representative samples confirmed the genotype of the viruses but also revealed that they were not identical to each other suggesting different origins of the VII.1.1 subgenotype viruses circulating in Eritrea. These data have implications for the control of Newcastle disease within the poultry population in Eritrea.
Keywords: Eritrea; Newcastle disease virus; fusion protein; phylogenetic analysis; poultry; subgenotype VII.1.1.