Optimization of the Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detecting Sheep Pox Virus in Alzawiyah City, Libya

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of SPV is essential to control the rapid spread of disease in Libya. This study was designed to optimize and develop a PCR assay for sheep pox virus identification in sheep farms in Alzawiyah City, Libya. A total of 120 oral swab samples were collected as follows: clinically suspected sheep pox (n=67), clinically suspected Contagious Ecthyma (n=18), and healthy sheep (n=35). The collected samples were subjected to DNA extraction followed by a polymerase chain reaction targeting the P32 gene with specific primers. All 67 clinically suspected sheep pox samples were found positive for SPV and yielded expected amplicon sizes of 390 bp. All the clinically suspected Contagious Ecthyma (CE) samples and healthy samples were negative. The result of the current P32 gene-based PCR assay demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity and could be used for molecular diagnosis of sheep pox disease.