Seroprevalence of Orf virus in sheep in Basrah province, Southern Iraq

Abstract

Orf which is commonly referred to as contagious ecthyma is a viral infectious disease that infects small ruminants. Little is known about the disease status in our geographical region. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Orf virus in sheep in Basrah province, southern Iraq. Serum samples were randomly collected from 380 sheep of different age and sex groups from 4 different regions in Basrah province, which were Zubair, Abulkhasib, Shatt Al-Arab, and Qurnah. The samples were tested by ELISA for the presence of IgG antibodies to the Orf virus. Out of 380 animals screened, 98 animals were found positive for ELISA, which reveals an overall prevalence of 25.7%. There was no significant difference in the seropositivity between male and female animals. On the other hand, the seropositivity was significantly higher in lambs of the age group 1-6 months in comparison with the other age groups (6-12 months and more than 12 months). This finding indicates that the virus is highly prevalent in Basrah province as confirmed by the ELISA test.