Adaptation of Capripox Virus Isolate from Goats in Heterologous Cells

An outbreak of goatpox was attended in district Durg and surrounding regions of Chhattisgarh state. Dried skin scabs were collected from 250 goats of different age groups showing clinical signs suggestive of pox. The prevalence rate was studied based on severity of clinical signs followed by confirmation with agar gel immuno diffusion (AGID) test. Positive scabs were further processed for virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs via dropped chorio allantoic membrane (CAM) route followed by inoculation of CAM material in chinese hamster ovary and chicken embryo fibroblast cell cultures and propagated up to fifth passage level. Goatpox was reported with a prevalence rate of 74% using AGID. Distribution of disease in young animals, particularly in the kids (below 6 month) was more (45.4%) as compared to those between 6 to 24 months (31.35%) and 24 months and above (23.24%). Capripox virus showed cytopathic effect in chinese hamster ovary cells only after third passage and no cytopathic effect in chicken embryo fibroblast cells even up to fifth passage. Cytopathic effects appeared after 72 hrs in chinese hamster ovary cell and were characterized initially by rounding and clumping of cells, cytoplasmic vacuolation followed by cell detachment. Identity of capripox virus was confirmed positive in both the cultures from third to fifth passage by both AGID and countercurrent immuno electrophoresis (CIE) test. In conclusion, field isolate of capripox virus was successfully adapted and propagated on chinese hamster ovary cell following third passage.