Isolation and identification of African horsesickness virus from naturally infected dogs in Upper Egypt.

The research article explores how the African horsesickness virus was successfully isolated and identified in street dogs in Aswan Provice, Egypt. The strains were also discovered to cause horsesickness in horses when experimented.

Isolation of African Horsesickness Virus

• The research team conducted the study in the Aswan Province of the Arab Republic of Egypt, where they collected blood samples from street dogs.
• The African horsesickness virus was successfully isolated from these samples, with six distinct “dog strain” viruses being identified.
• These dog strains were not just present, but also capable of causing infection and disease, showing very close relations with the African horsesickness virus typically seen in equines.

Identification of Virus Strains

• Out of the six isolated viruses, three of them (dubbed as D2, D6, and D10) were identified as type 9 African horsesickness virus.
• Methods used for the isolation, adaptation to tissue culture, serologically identification, and typification are documented.
• This shows the versatility and adaptability of the virus, indicating its potential to spread across different species (specifically from dogs to horses in this case).

Experimentation on Horses

• Shifting their focus towards equines, the researchers experimentally infected horses with these dog viruses.
• Following the infection, the horses exhibited a febrile (fever) reaction, along with other clinical and pathological signs synonymous with African horsesickness.
• This confirmed that the viruses identified were indeed the same as or very closely related to the African horsesickness virus, considering they caused the same disease in another species.

Reisolation of the Virus

• The researchers were then able to re-isolate the African horsesickness virus type 9 from the horses during serial passages, further ascertaining the similarity and potential cross-species transmission of the virus.
• This also presents opportunities for future research into the pathogenicity and virulence of these dog strains in horses, potentially leading to the development of treatment or preventive strategies against African horsesickness in various hosts.