Highly pathogenic fowlpox virus in cutaneously infected chickens, China.

We investigated an acute outbreak of the cutaneous form of fowlpox among chickens in China in November 2009. Using pathologic and virologic methods, we identified a novel type of fowlpox virus that carried an integrated genomic sequence of reticuloendotheliosis virus. This highly pathogenic virus could lead to severe ecologic effects and economic losses.