Members of the genus Avipoxvirus belong to the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae which shares several biological features with other poxviruses [7, 8] . Currently, little is known of the number of species within the genus. While only ten strains have so far been identified and classified Worldwide as APV [1] , avian poxvirus infections have been reported to affect a wide range of bird species [6] . These strains vary in virulence and host specificity, demonstrating an urgent need for further analyses and characterization of new isolates.