Natural exposure of Dromedary camels in Sudan to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (bovine herpes virus-1)

The occurrence of bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-1) in camels was studied. A total of 186 pneumonic camel lungs were collected from slaughter houses at four different areas in Sudan during 2000–2006. Using sandwich ELISA 1.6% of 186 tested lungs were found positive for BHV-1 antigen, all were from Tambool at Central Sudan. Direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) was used to confirm the BHV-1 ELISA positives, all ELISA positives were also positive. PCR was used to detect BHV-1 genome with three positive results. BHV-1 was isolated from two camel lungs in MDBK cells. Isolates were identified using ELISA and FAT. Indirect ELISA was used to detect antibodies to BHV-1 in 260 camel sera; 76.9% were found positive. Highest prevalence was observed in sera from Kordofan (84%) then Blue Nile (80%) and Tambool (76.3%). This is the first report for the detection of BHV-1 antigen, genome using PCR, isolation in cell culture and antibodies in camels in Sudan.