Molecular and phylogenic analysis of bovine respiratory syncytial virus in Nineveh province, Iraq

Abstract

Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) is one of the worldwide distributed infectious agents responsible for diversified clinical disease in cattle populations which causes considerable economic loss due to its negative effects on health and production. In this study, 450 nasal swab samples were collected from cows with different ages and breeds in different areas across Nineveh province, Iraq. Molecular diagnosis using nested RT-PCR and phylogenetic analysis of the G gene were performed. The results indicated a 37.31% prevalence rate of BRSV using specific primers in the PCR technique. The local isolate was submitted in GenBank under the accession number MN129181 Mosul isolate. The phylogenetic tree of local isolates of BRSV was made using the neighbor-joining system after comparison with other GenBank data. In conclusion, phylogenetic analysis of BRSV can provide information about the viral strains present in cattle and subsequently may be useful for infection control programs.