Biological and Molecular Characterization of Newcastle Disease Virus through Haemagglutinin-neuraminidase Gene Isolated from Lahore District

N ewcastle disease (ND) is one of the most im- portant viral diseases of birds affecting domestic poultry, caged pet birds and wild birds throughout the world.The poultry sector is one of the most organized and vibrant segment of the agriculture industry of Pakistan and generates direct and indirect employment.This sector generates direct and indirect employment and income for more than 1.5 million people.Its contribution in agriculture and livestock is 6.4% and 11.5% respectively.However, this industry is always threatened by various viral and bacterial diseases among which ND is on the top.The disease is complicated due to different pathotypes and strains of the virus that may induce enormous variation in the severity of disease characterized by fatal respiratory and neurological pathogenesis.During the recent years, from 2009 to date, a number of vNDVs have been isolated from commercial, rural and wild birds in Pa- Short Communication