Detection and Molecular Characterization of Group D Avian Rotavirus in Kafrelsheikh and Gharbia Governorates

Rotaviruses are large diverse group of viruses implicated in gastroenteritis in human, different animals and poultry species. They are among the common causes of infantile diarrhea worldwide. The emergence of rotaviruses is a very complicated process. Many rotaviruses can infect several species making their interspecies transmission quiet possible in many cases. The main goal of the current study was to detect the presence of group D avian rotavirus in clinical specimens from chicken farms in both Kafrelsheikh and Gharbia governorates. To achieve our goal we collected cloacal swabs, fecal specimens and pooled organs from several broiler chicken farms from both governorates. In the current study we reported the presence rotavirus in the cloacal swabs and tissue suspensions of pooled organs from chickens suffering from diarrhea. These results had been confirmed by different techniques such as the scanning electron microscope, the immunoelectron microscope, Dot ELISA and the hemagglutination test. seroconversion of the affected chickens to that virus was documented by the hemagglutination inhibition test. For further confirmation we used specific oligonucleotides to amplify a conserved region in group D avian rotavirus VP-6 gene. Our results are showing high degree of identity of the detected viruses to the previously published sequences of group D-avian rotavirus VP-6 gene. This study confirmed for the first time the identification and molecular characterization of group D avian rotavirus in Delta region of Egypt.