First molecular diagnosis of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma in Awassi sheep in Iraq

Abstract EN

Background: Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), formerly known as sheep pulmonary adenomatosis is a contagious tumor of the respiratory epithelium.

Aim: The aim of this study to investigate about ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) in Iraqi Awassi sheep.

Material and methods: One hundred and twenty blood samples from Awassi sheep clinically had respiratory problematic were collected as well as sixty tissues samples.

included twenty of each of (lung, lung fluid, mediastinal lymph nodes ) were collected from lungs with abnormal pathological lesions , all samples tested by RT-PCR by using specific primers and probe were designed in this study by using conserved region in envelope protein gene (NCBI-Gen Bank Code: KT279065.1) .

Results: Ten sheep (5.55%) were found to be positive for JSRV by RT-PCR with higher infection rate in lung fluids 20% , mediastinal lymph nodes 10%, lung tissues 5% , and the less infection rate in blood .

2-5 years aged sheep were more susceptible for infection than other age ,but gender of examined sheep not affected on APO infection .

Conclusion: The first detection of Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) in Iraq in Awassi sheep in field and abattoir.