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Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)

Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2007.

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Other Authors: Van Vuuren, Moritz
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Van Vuuren, Moritz
author_browse Van Vuuren, Moritz
author_facet Van Vuuren, Moritz
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © University of Pretoria 2007
description Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2007.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26746
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:39:43.129Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26746 Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) Van Vuuren, Moritz Oosthuizen, Marinda C. japret@yahoo.com Pretorius, Jana Annelise Gammaherpesvirus Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) Sheep UCTD Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2007. Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a mostly fatal lymphoproliferative disease in cattle, pigs, farmed deer, bison and a range of wild ungulates in zoos and game parks. The disease in domestic cattle is caused by either alcelaphine herpesvirus type 1 (AlHV–1) or ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV–2). Both are members of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. The major reservoir host of AlHV–1 is the blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), but it is generally accepted that the black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) is also a reservoir host. Sheep is the reservoir host for OvHV–2. These viruses are non-pathogenic in their natural hosts. No viral studies in the black wildebeest have been reported and as the carrier status of black wildebeest has not been documented, samples from 304 black wildebeest and 51 of their foetuses were collected for this purpose. Blood samples, including serum and blood collected in EDTA-coated collection tubes; cornea and spleen samples were collected from culled black wildebeest. Cornea and spleen samples were collected from foetuses during the culling operations. Blood samples, as above, were also collected from live animals during the capture of such animals. Tissue and EDTA-blood samples were tested by means of conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detection of a gammaherpesvirus similar or related to AlHV–1. Conventional PCR failed to produce any consistent results. Real-time PCR successfully amplified a region on the gene that codes for a transactivator protein, open reading frame (ORF) 50. Melting curves were generated to determine which samples were positive for a gammaherpesvirus. Only 15.8% of the animals tested positive with the real-time PCR assay. Ninety percent (90%) of the foetuses tested positive and suggests that, unlike sheep lambs, the virus is mainly transmitted in utero and soon after birth. Virus isolated from a black wildebeest calf of one week of age, was confirmed by electron microscopy and sequence analysis to be a gammaherpesvirus related to AlHV–1 and used as a positive control for the real-time PCR assays. Serum samples were tested by a direct competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CI-ELISA) for group specific malignant catarrhal fever virus antibody. All the serum samples that were tested of culled and live animals, tested positive with the CI-ELISA. This indicates a persistent infection and a carrier status. Veterinary Tropical Diseases MMedVet unrestricted 2013-09-07T07:36:12Z 2008-08-07 2013-09-07T07:36:12Z 2007-11-23 2007 2008-07-28 Dissertation Pretorius, JA 2007, Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou), MMedVet Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26746> http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26746 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07282008-095419/ © University of Pretoria 2007 application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Gammaherpesvirus
Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
Sheep
UCTD
Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title_full Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title_fullStr Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title_short Investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
title_sort investigation of the gammaherpesvirus carrier status of black wildebeest connochaetes gnou
topic Gammaherpesvirus
Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
Sheep
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26746
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07282008-095419/