Orf is a viral disease caused by a parapoxvirus, affecting primarily sheep and goats and causes severe economic losses. In this study, a total of 500 sheep from a farm in El-Beheira Governorate, Egypt were examined during spring, 2014. Out of them, 30 sheep showed clinical signs of orf virus infection. The diseased sheep exhibited proliferative lesions on the lips and around the mouth. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for diagnosis of the disease. For genetic characterization of the Egyptian orf virus, the sequence of a major and highly immunogenic envelope protein gene (B2L gene) was identified and compared with the sequences available from different parts of the world. The virus was detected in 24 out of 30 collected samples (80 %) by PCR. Phylogenetic analyses of the Egyptian orf virus B2L gene showed close genetic relationship with Israel orf viruses those were identified in 2012. In conclusion, this study reports identification and genetic characterization of Egyptian orf virus in sheep in Egypt.
Keywords: B2L gene; Egypt; Orf virus; Polymerase chain reaction; Sequencing analysis; Sheep.