Pestivirus A Bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 species genotypes circulating in China and Turkey

BACKGROUND: Pestivirus A Bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 (BVDV-1) is a heterogeneous species within the genus, affecting cattle and other ruminants, with economic impact on livestock production. AIM: The study aimed to update the taxonomy of the Pestivirus A, BVDV-1 species and to verify the clustering of the strains reported as genotype 1v, originating from different countries. METHODS: Recently deposited strains from China, Turkey, and Iran have been evaluated by the palindromic nucleotide substitutions (PNS) genotyping method. RESULTS: Based on secondary structure analysis of the 5′-UTR sequences, strains reported as 1v from China were clustered as sub genotype 1.7.3 (1o). Genotype 1.19 (1w) was restricted to China and genotype 1.21 (1v) was present only in Turkey and Iran. CONCLUSION: The application of the PNS method clarified the taxonomical status of strains, revealing the homonymy of genetically different clusters. Furthermore, these observations indicated geographic segregation in the Pestivirus A species, and confirmed the occurrence of new atypical genetic variants, with potential implications on control and prophylaxis.