%X Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a contagious viral disease that threatens rabbit farms locally and globally. The disease causative agent is the 63-Rabbit_Haemorrhagic_Disease_Virus_Strains_Circulating_in_Rabbit_Population_RHD virus (RHDV) of the family Caliciviridae. The present study aimed to identify and characterize RHDV strains currently circulating in Upper Egypt provinces. A total of 20 suspected RHDV samples were collected from non-vaccinated rabbit flocks from January to December 2019 in Upper Egypt governorates (New Valley and Assuit), Egypt. The RHDV was confirmed through the hemagglutination test (HA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Further characterization of selected 4 isolates was performed by nucleotide sequencing of a partial VP60 gene. All of 11 RHDV RT-PCR-positive samples were positive for HA activity against human RBCs type "O". Based on the nucleotide sequencing, the selected 4 isolates were clustered as RHDV-1 variant strains (G3-G5). The nucleotide sequence identities of the 4 isolates were 94.2-100 %, compared to available RHDV strains from GenBank. In conclusion, the presence of RHDV-1 variant strains was detected and confirmed that threatens the rabbit’s populations in New Valley and Assuit governorates.
%K Upper Egypt, Nucleotide sequencing, Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, VP60
%V 11
%P 302-311
%N 3
%R 10.36380/jwpr.2021.37
%A S. E. S. A. Abodalal
%A M. S. A. Hafez
%A E. A. E. M. Shosha
%A F. F. Warda
%A N. M. Hagag
%D 2021
%J Journal of World's Poultry Research
%I Scienceline Publication, Ltd
%T Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Strains Circulating in Rabbit Population Using Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis in upper Egypt
%L eprints89