ABSTRACT
Chicken rotaviruses [CRVs] were detected, identified and characterized in broiler chicken with diarrhea for the first time in Egypt Fecal samples were collected from 85 naturally occurring diarrheal outbreaks in commercial chicken broilers fmis that are located in a wide range of geographical areas including many Egyptian govemorates mainly 6th Octobar, Elfayom, Giza, Qaluobea, Menofla and Elmansoura during year 2008. CRV was detected in the fecal samples by ELISA using monoclonal antibodies [Mabs] against VP6, Electron Microscopy [EM], Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction [RTPCR] and the virus was isolated using SPF chickens. The obtained results confirmed the isolation and identification of group A chicken rotavirus while the molecular characterization analysis using different primers sets suggested that the isolated chicken rotavirus does not belong to the same cluster of Chi rotavirus strain but most likely more related to Po-13 strain [mammalian like chicken rotavirus strains]. This study reports the importance of rotaviruses in broiler chickens with delayed growth and diarrhea