Abstract

BREMER, C W. The prevalence of ovine herpesvirus-2 in 4 sheep breeds from different regions in South Africa. J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. [online]. 2010, vol.81, n.2, pp.93-96. ISSN 2224-9435.

About 90 % of bovine malignant catarrhal fever (BMCF) PCR-positive cases in South Africa are caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1) and the other 10 % by ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). The prevalence of OvHV-2 in different sheep breeds in South Africa was determined in order to investigate whether the lower incidence of BMCF caused by OvHV-2 in comparison with AlHV-1 can be ascribed to a low incidence of the virus in sheep. A single-tube hemi-nested PCR was developed, evaluated and applied to detect OvHV-2 DNA. The prevalence of the virus in 4 sheep breeds from various regions in South Africa was shown to be 77 %. No statistically significant difference was found amongst the sheep breeds tested.

Keywords : bovine malignant catarrhal fever; ovine herpesvirus-2; PCR; prevalence; sheep.

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