Analysis of the genetic diversity of ovine herpesvirus 2 in samples from livestock with malignant catarrhal fever.
In order to define better virus isolates from animals with malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), segments of three genes of ovine herpesvirus-2 were amplified from diagnostic samples representing MCF cases with a range of clinical presentations in cattle, including head and eye, alimentary and neurological. The variation within each gene segment was estimated by DNA sequencing, which confirmed that the newly-annotated Ov9.5 gene was significantly more polymorphic than either of the other loci tested (segments of ORF50 and ORF75), with alleles that differed at over 60% of nucleotide positions. Despite this, the nine Ov9.5 alleles characterised had identical predicted splicing patterns and could be translated into Ov9.5 polypeptides with at least 49% amino acid identity. This multi-locus approach has potential for use in epidemiological studies and in charactering chains of infection. However there was no association between specific variants of OvHV-2 and the clinical/pathological presentation of MCF in the cattle analysed.
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK. Electronic address: george.russell@moredun.ac.uk.
George C
GC
Russell
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Pentlands Science Park, Midlothian, UK.
Sandra F
SF
Scholes
AHVLA Starcross Regional Laboratory, Staplake Mount, Starcross, Devon EX6 8PE, UK.
David F
DF
Twomey
AHVLA Surveillance Centre, Division of Livestock Health and Welfare, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst Campus, University of Liverpool, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK.
Ann E
AE
Courtenay
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK.
Dawn M
DM
Grant
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK.
Bruce
B
Lamond
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK.
David
D
Norris
Moredun Scientific, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK.
Kim
K
Willoughby
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
David M
DM
Haig
Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, L3 5RF, UK.
James P
JP
Stewart
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005814:Genes, Viral; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000821:virology*
Inflammatory disease; Malignant catarrhal fever; Multi-locus Sequence typing; Polymorphism; Sequence analysis