Polymerase chain reaction for rapid diagnosis of a recent lumpy skin disease virus incursion to Egypt

In early 2006, a lumpy skin disease [LSD] outbreak has invaded cattle in different localities of Egypt, exerting severe economic losses to livestock industry. Representative specimens [skin biopsies] were collected form nodular skin lesions of infected foreign [imported from Ethiopia, at Ismailia private quarantine] and local cattle [at Fayoum, Menofia and Sharquia governorates]. A polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay was used, as a basic step, for rapid diagnosis of the causative agent in clinical specimens to control spread of infection in the rest of Egypt. The PCR assay, utilizing a LSDV P32 based primer set, could identify LSDV in all outbreak clinical specimens. The specific PCR amplification products [amplicons] were purified and subjected to direct nucleotide sequencing. Blast search, multiple alignments and phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequence data revealed that outbreak LSDV is closely related to other capripoxviruses of LSD, sheep pox and goat pox. Selection and processing of clinical specimens, methods of DNA isolation, and PCR assay applied in this endeavor, presented a reliable laboratory diagnostic tool for LSDV

Genetic identification of the foot-and-mouth disease virus caused 2006 outbreak in Egypt

In early February 2006, a foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] outbreak has struck cattle and buffaloes in different localities of Egypt exerting severe economic losses to livestock industry. Representative specimens [tongue epithelium and foot vesicular fluid] were collected from severely infected foreign [imported from Ethiopia] and local cattle in different governorates [Ismailia, Sharqia and Behairah]. Several assays of reverse transcription [RT] using random decamer primers, followed by FMDV VP1- based polymerase chain reaction [PCR], were used for rapid identification of the causative agent in clinical specimens, basically to circumscribe the countrywide spread of infection. The first PCR assay, utilizing a FMDV universal primer set, could identify the outbreak causative agent as a FMDV in all clinical specimens. FMDV specific primers were then utilized to determine the outbreak FMDV serotype. The specific PCR amplification products [amplicons] were purified and subjected to direct nucleotide sequencing. Blast searches, multiple alignments and phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequence data revealed that outbreak FMDV is a serotype "A" which is a new serotype incursion to Egypt. Direct sequencing of the PCR amplicons was proved a relevant discriminative tool for genetic characterization of FMDV strains / isolates. Results of this endeavor initiated the potential to produce a bivalent FMDV vaccine, containing both of serotypes A and O[1], for the first time in Egypt