Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of ovine herpesvirus-2 in sheep and goats of Al-Qadisiyah Province

Abstract

This study aimed to identify ovine herpesvirus 2 (OHV-2) infections in sheep and goats in Al-Qadisiyah Province of Iraq, using molecular and phylogenetic methods. Nasal discharge swabs were collected from 60 sheep and 60 goats from 3 different animal sale bars. The samples were subjected to semi-nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing, and phylogenetic tests involving OHV-2 tegument protein gene (OHV-2T). The results of the semi-nested PCR showed the presence of OHV-2 in all 60 (100%) sheep and 52 (86.6%) goats. The samples from both sheep and goats were sent for partial-gene-based sequencing to confirm the PCR results. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted and 6 PCR amplicons (10%) of positive samples from each goat and sheep were submitted for sequencing. The sequence results were reassembled and deposited in the NCBI-GenBank database under the accession numbers of MF004402.1 for sheep and MG875327.1 and MG875328.1 for goats. Multiple alignments of sequences showed close identities with some global isolates of this virus. This study not only reports new sequences from the local OHV-2 isolates that have been deposited in the NCBI GenBank, but also provides important data about the presence and shedding of OHV-2 in the nasal discharge of healthy sheep and goats, and suggests OHV-2 as the major cause of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle.