Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine (Jun 2022)

First molecular detection of Maedi-Visna virus in Awassi sheep of Middle Iraq regions

  • A. Mosa,
  • M. M. Zenad

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15547/bjvm.2020-0069
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 2
pp. 211 – 222

Abstract

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Respiratory viral infections cause significant economic losses in sheep production. This preliminary molecular study aimed to detect the Maedi-Visna virus infection in Awassi sheep in three gover-norates in the middle region of Iraq. The presence of one or more of the specific four genes (gag, pol, env and LTR) were considered as positive result. A total of 210 blood samples of Awassi sheep were collected for the purpose of the project. The molecular prevalence of Maedi-Visna virus in sheep was 12.85% (27/210). As a result, Maedi-Visna virus was observed in sheep with chronic respiratory sys-tem disease with non-significant difference between governorates and between primers percentage (P>0.05). Sequencing studies strongly suggested that Maedi-Visna virus originated in Iraq. This is the first study describing Iraqi Maedi-Visna virus sequences with molecular characterisation of gag, pol, env and LTR genes, suggesting that Maedi-Visna virus originated in Iraq.

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