The present cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with Bovine viral diarrhea virus disease in cattle and buffaloes in Egypt

An outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was recorded in Kalubia province, Egypt in 2006, affecting a large population of migratory goats and sheep over a huge geographical area. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory investigations were performed. Diseased animals showed pyrexia, erosive stomatitis, enteritis and bronchopneumonia. Clinical manifestations were more severe in goats. The overall morbidity, cumulative mortality and case fatality rates were 26.1%, 10.5% and 40.2%, respectively, and were significantly higher in young animals. Post-mortem examination showed emaciation, congested mucous membranes, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, haemorrhagic necrosis of the abomasal and intestinal mucosa, pleurisy and lung consolidation. Forty oculonasal swabs and 243 serum samples from diseased animals were tested for PPR antigen and antibodies using immunocapture and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), respectively. PPR antigen was detected in 30/40 (75%) of the swabs. PPR virus was identified in inoculated Vero cells using immunocapture ELISA and fluorescent antibody technique (FAT); 33/40 (82.5%) and 36/40 (90%) samples were positive, respectively. Of 243 sera, 154 (63.4%) contained PPR antibodies. Circulation of PPR among the migratory sheep and goat flocks was demonstrated. Strict serosurveillance and monitoring of PPR with vaccination of migratory flocks at borders is required for effective control of the disease.

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), an important bovine pathogen, establishes life-long latency in sensory neurons within trigeminal ganglia (TG). Stress, as mimicked by the synthetic corticosteroid dexamethasone, consistently induces reactivation in calves latently infected with BoHV-1. Dexamethasone induces expression of several transcription factors in TG neurons during early stages of reactivation, including Krüppel-like transcription factors (KLF): KLF4, KLF6, KLF15, and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger. Furthermore, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is consistently detected in TG neurons expressing viral regulatory proteins during reactivation from latency. The viral immediate early transcription unit 1 (IEtu1) promoter that drives expression of two viral transcription factors (bICP0 and bICP4) contains two GR response elements (GREs) and is stimulated by DEX. KLF15 and the GR form a feed forward transcription loop that synergistically stimulates productive infection and IEtu1 promoter activity. New studies demonstrate the GR and KLF6 synergistically stimulate productive infection and IEtu1 promoter activity if the GREs are intact. Furthermore, the GR and KLF6 interact with wild-type GREs within the IEtu1 promoter, but not GRE mutants. These studies suggest that certain KLF family members and the GR can convert a silent viral genome in latently infected neurons into an actively transcribing genome during reactivation from latency.

Infections with equine herpesviruses(EHVs) are widespread in equine populations worldwide. Whilst EHV-1 produces well-documented reproductive losses in equids, the role of asinineherpesviruses-5 (AHV-5) to induce abortion is still enigmatic. In the present study, EHV-1 and AHV-5 were detected in aborted fetuses of Arabian horses in Egypt by consensus nested PCR of DNA polymerase gene, with a trial for viral isolation on Rabbit Kidney 13 cell line (RK-13) and identification by indirect immunofluorescence. The partial analysis of DNA polymerase gene sequence revealed that the Egyptian strains EHV-1 and AHV-5 were related to Australian origin EHV-1 838/89 (Accession. no, KF434370) and Austrian strain AHV-5 isolate 1323 (Accession. no, KC825357) by 98.3% and 98.6 % respectively. In conclusion, this was the first detection and isolation of AHV-5 in Egypt, and to our knowledge, this represents the first report of AHV-1 detection from an aborted fetus worldwide.