Partial Characterization of Small Ruminant Lentiviruses from Goat from Sudan Based on GAG Gene Sequence Analysis

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) infection is widespread in the world; positive serology of the disease in Sudan was recently reported but genetic studies of the virus have not been carried out. In this study, a sequence of 354 nucleotides of the gag gene was presented covering part of the coding sequences for the Capsid (CA) p25 proteins for eight Sudanese isolates. Resulting nucleotide sequences were aligned along with those from other ovine/caprine prototypic and all Sudanese sequences appear to be closely related at both nucleotide and amino acid sequences to each other and to the prototypic CAEV-Co isolate. They were also found to be clearly divergent from ovine isolates which clustered in a separate group. Hypothesis as to how this virus was introduced into Sudan was discussed.