Trials for Isolation of Contagious Pustular Dermatitis Virus (CPDV) from Sheep in Ismailia Governorate

Contagious Pustular Dermatitis (CPD) is a highly contagious, zoonotic, viral skin disease that affects sheep, goatand some other domesticated and wild ruminants. In this study, a total of 60 samples (15 scabs, and 45 serum) were collected from sheep in different farms in Ismailia Governorate during the appearance of skin lesions similar to CPD symptoms. Clinical examination of the affected sheep, show wart-like lesions on the lips, gums, teats, around the anus and dried scabs. Inoculation of scabs supernatant on primary lamb kidney cell culture revealed a cytopathic effect in the form of cell rounding, pyknosis, and cell detachment. Inoculation of the positive cell culture isolates on chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of emberyonated chicken egg 9-11 days resulted in appearance of thickening in the CAM. Identification of the virus by agar gel precipitation test revealed a clear precipitation line while the morphology of the CPD virion was studied using the negative staining technique and photographed with an electron microscope revealed an electron micrograph of a typical parapoxvirus virions which is consisted of ovoid electro dense structures. The virions had a characteristic crisscross pattern in the outer membrane that gave them a basket-weave appearance. Agar gel precipitation test (AGPT) of the collected serum samples revealed a number of 5 positive samples for the presence of antibodies against CPDV.