BACKGROUND: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute and highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants that is characterized by high fever, ocular and nasal discharge, pneumonia, necrosis, ulceration of the mucous membranes and inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract leading to severe diarrhea. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus infection in sheep and cattle in Ahvaz. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 100 cattle and 100 sheep that were kept together from different parts of Ahvaz. Blood samples were also taken from 16 vaccinated sheep   against PPR for positive control. The sera were separated by centrifuge at 3000 ×g for 10 minutes and 3 mL of serum was harvested and stored at -20 °C until determination of antibody against PPR using VN method. RESULTS: The peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibody seroprevalence was 23% in cattle and 58% in sheep and all the sheep samples collected for control were positive for PPR antibody. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates serological evidence for the natural transmission of PPRV from sheep to cattle under natural conditions and provides baseline information on prevalence of PPRV antibodies in cattle and sheep population in Ahvaz.

BACKGROUND: Bovine Herpes Virus-1 (BHV-1) belongs to the  Alpha herpesviral family. The virus is the cause of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Abortion. In the initial infection, the virus proliferates excessively. Moreover, shedding the virus leads to conditions in the latent phase of the disease. Infectious Bovine Vulvovaginit (IPV ) is the genital form of the disease that represents a genital infection and transmits via pustules and mucopurulent secretions. Exposure to the virus in genital mucosa leads to IPV infection through mating or artificial insemination and the diseases that can be transmitted to healthy livestock by frozen sperm during artificial insemination.OBJECTIVES: Viral contamination of the semen is one of the routes to spread the disease among dairy cattle. Therefore, we investigated the presence of the virus in domestic and frozen imported semen consumed in industrial dairy cattle farms.METHODS: In the present study, 140 frozen straws were collected. After melting each straw, 200 µl of obtained semen was used for DNA extraction, which was done directly on the semen samples and via a Genome Extraction Kit. Subsequently, to ensure the accuracy of the extraction, the PCR technique was done using PRM-1 gene primer. Tracking the viral genome was done using the PCR technique and known primers.RESULTS: In total, one out of 140 samples was found to be virally contaminated, and IBR contamination was confirmed by repeating all the steps and determining the gene sequence.CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to further investigate the possibility that contamination can be transmitted via frozen semen, given that even one out of 140 samples is contaminated, and the importance of the disease.

BACKGROUND: Equine arteritis virus (EAV) causes respiratory disease, abortion and sometimes, neurological signs. Stallions which are permanently infected with the virus, are the constant carriers of the virus in their semen and transmit the virus to other horses through sexual contact. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate EAV infection in horses in four provinces of Iran and its relationship with age, sex, and race. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 149 horses with different sex, age and race with history or clinical signs associated with equine viral arteritis, including the manifestation of respiratory disease (fever, nasal secretion, coughing), nervous signs (ataxia, dysmetria, recumbency) and abortion. The commercial ELISA kit was used for viral antibody detection. RESULTS: From 149 sampled horses, 11 cases (7.4%) were found to be positive for EAV. Seropositive cases were recorded in Tehran (2.7%), Golestan (4.3%), Khuzestan (6.7%) and West Azerbaijan (23.8%) provinces. CONCLUSIONS: This survey confirmed the presence of EVAV in horses from four provinces of Iran with the sensitive (98.3%) and special (98.9%) test. Therefore, consideration should be given to the control and prevention programs for the spread of this virus.