The genetic identification of camel contagious ecthyma virus as the causative agent of contagious ecthyma in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Qatar

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 53; no. 2; p. 332
• Main Authors: Shehata, Amir A., El-Nahas, Ehab M., Abo Hatab, Eman M., Sharawi, Saad S. A., Ahmed, Hanaa A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-06-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Amino acid sequence; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Camelidae; Camels; Camelus dromedarius; Economic impact; Ecthyma; Edema; Gene sequencing; Genetic analysis; Genomes; Life Sciences; Medical research; Mortality; Orf; Phylogenetics; Proteins; Research centers; Sequence analysis; Short Communications; Skin; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Viral diseases; Virology; Viruses; Zoology; Qatar; B2L gene; Dromedary camels; Contagious ecthyma; Qatar; Parapoxvirus
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02771-7

Camel contagious ecthyma is a contagious viral disease of camels caused by either Orf virus (ORFV) or camel contagious ecthyma virus (CCEV). It has been previously reported and shown to cause economic losses in some camel-rearing countries in Asia and Africa, but has not been detected in Qatar. The purpose of this study was to identify and genetically characterize the contagious ecthyma causative agent in Qatari dromedary camels between 2017 and 2018. Accordingly, we made diagnoses of camel contagious ecthyma based on the clinical signs and genetic analysis of the entire major envelop protein (B2L) gene. The sequence analysis showed that CCEV was the infecting virus, and the B2L gene sequences were highly conserved between the locally infected camels with 100% similarity with isolates from Bahrain. This is the first study reporting the detection of CCEV in Qatar. We suggest that sequencing of the CCEV genome is necessary to determine the origin and relationship of this virus with other members of the parapoxvirus genus.