Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
PCR-based assay to detect sheeppox virus in ocular, nasal, and rectal swabs from infected Moroccan sheep.
- Journal:
- Journal of virological methods
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Zro, K et al.
- Affiliation:
- Hassan II University Mohammedia-Casablanca
Plain-English summary
In Morocco, sheeppox, a viral disease affecting sheep, is common and finding a quick way to diagnose it is very important for controlling its spread. This study looked at different types of samples, like swabs from the nose, eyes, and rectum, to see how well they could detect the sheeppox virus using a specific testing method called PCR. They collected samples from forty sheep that showed signs of the disease, and all of them tested positive for the virus using the swabs, while blood samples were less reliable. The findings suggest that using swabs from at least two areas is a good way to diagnose sheeppox. Overall, the study confirmed that swab samples are effective for detecting the virus in infected sheep.
Abstract
Sheeppox is now enzootic in Morocco. The development of a reliable method for rapid diagnosis of the disease is a central part of any control strategy. The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of a variety of clinical samples such as ovine nasal, ocular or rectal swabs for the detection of sheeppox virus (SPPV) by qualitative conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a single pair of primers targeting the inverted terminal repeats of the SPPV InS-1 strain, a virulent field isolate. Swab and blood samples were collected from forty animals naturally infected with SPPV who had clinical signs of sheeppox. All animals tested PCR-positive for SPPV. Positive results were obtained infrequently with blood samples, whereas swab samples from at least two sites (nasal, ocular, rectal) were positive per evaluated animal. These results indicate that swab samples are suitable for quantitative molecular SPPV diagnosis. PCR product sequences obtained from all types of sheep samples proved to be identical to the corresponding regions of sheeppox virus strain Romania 65.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24698762/